Zlatan Ibrahimovic to leave Milan on free transfer: Decoding stats
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not extend his stay at AC Milan after his contract expires with the Serie A outfit at the end of June. He endured a tough year marred with injuries but he shared plenty of pleasant memories with the club and the fans in his second stint with the Rossoneri. Ibrahimovic, 41, has no plans to retire after leaving Milan. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Ibrahimovic is undoubtedly one of the best footballers of his generation. The Swede has played in various leagues, dominating proceedings and winning several accolades. However, with age, injuries have not been kind to him. He underwent knee surgery in 2022 and even after returning he has suffered problems. It's ideal for both Milan and Ibra to part ways at this stage.
A look at his second stint with AC Milan
Ibrahimovic joined Milan in 2020 on a free transfer after he left MLS outfit LA Galaxy. In the 2019-20 season, he netted 11 goals and provided five assists in all competitions. The following season saw him slam 17 goals along with three assists. In the 2021-22 season, he scored eight times and provided three assists. This season he could only manage a solitary goal.
His overall numbers for AC Milan
Ibrahimovic's first stint with the Rossoneri was back in 2010 when he left Barcelona to join Milan. He remained for two seasons, scoring 56 goals in 85 games. Overall, he has compiled 163 appearances for Milan while scoring 93 goals. Ibrahimovic is in the 11th rank among Milan's all-time goal-scorers. Gunnar Nordahl leads the charts with 214 goals.
What next for Ibrahimovic?
The 41-year-old forward feels he has a lot to give to the spot despite his persistent injury concerns. While one can't deny his influence as a player and even in the dressing room, snapping him up will be a risk for any club with his tryst with injuries. Ibrahimovic may attract interest from Saudi Arabia given their knack for roping in superstar footballers.
Ibrahimovic is the oldest Serie A goal-scorer
In March 2023, Ibrahimovic smashed a rebound against Udinese to become the oldest-ever goal-scorer in Serie A history at 41 years and 166 days. He surpassed Alessandro Costacurta's (41 years and 25 days) record from 2007. Incidentally, Costacurta also scored a penalty for Milan to establish the record, eventually losing that match to Udinese. Silvio Piola (40 years, 131 days) is third.
A look at his illustrious career
Ibrahimovic started at Malmo by netting 18 goals. For Ajax and slammed 48 goals in 110 games. Juventus came calling in 2004 as he scored 26 goals before adding 66 goals for Inter. Ibra scored 22 times for Barcelona while slamming 156 goals for PSG. He netted 29 and 53 goals for Manchester United and LA Galaxy respectively. He compiled 93 goals for Milan.
