Manager Jose Mourinho has said it is “possible” Zlatan Ibrahimovic could sign a new deal at Manchester United.
Striker Ibrahimovic, 35, is currently recovering from knee surgery at Manchester United’s training ground.
Mourinho said: “If the decision is to stay and wait until December – he can’t be back until them – why not wait? We are speaking and changing ideas.”
The Manchester United boss also said he wants to sign “one or two” more players this summer.
The Old Trafford club have already spent £106m on Victor Lindhof and Romelu Lukaku during the transfer window and have been linked with midfielders Nemanja Matic from Chelsea, Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan and Eric Dier from Tottenham.
Mourinho refused to speak about Matic at his news conference in Los Angeles, saying “I can’t say any word about a Chelsea player”, but said that United “don’t have our door closed”.
“We need more [players],” he said. “We wanted four – 50% of the job is done. We need two more players, at least one. Don’t want to say Matic or another one. Everything is so difficult.”
READ: Diego Costa, Matic left out of Chelsea squad
Mourinho also confirmed that the club tried to sign striker Alvaro Morata last month but could not agree a fee with Real Madrid for the 24-year-old Spain international.
“Yes, we have had interest, that is obvious and it’s public,” Mourinho said. “We have not come to an economic agreement, that is obvious as well.”
‘We need a number nine’
Instead, United paid Everton £75m for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku with manager Mourinho saying his side need a “target man”.
“We are not speaking about a multi-functional player. He is a striker,” said Mourinho, who confirmed his only involvement in the deal came when it was close to completion.
“He is not a player who participates a lot in the build-up. We need a target man, which is not Martial or Rashford.
“We have good players but we need a number nine, we thought Romelu would be a good option for us.”
‘Zlatan didn’t want to hide behind the injury’
United have not ruled out signing Sweden international Ibrahimovic on a short-term contract once he is fit.
His agent Mino Raiola has previously said Ibrahimovic, who scored 28 goals in his debut season for United before rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments against Anderlecht in April, will stay in Europe.
But both Los Angeles-based Major League Soccer clubs – LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC – are interested in signing him if he decides to end his career elsewhere.
The free agent said he will make a “big announcement” about his future soon.
Mourinho added: “We wanted to let him make a decision – space and time to think and decide.
“He didn’t want to hide behind an amazing injury. That would be easy. He was not happy in the way he finished the season. He made the challenge for himself to want to keep playing at highest level.
“We opened the door for him tor recover with our people and be one of us. It is Mr Woodward and Zlatan’s agent who will deal with it.”
