Why This £125,000-a-week Superstar’s Return Will Be A Major Boost For Manchester United In Their Title Quest

Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Return Will Be A Major Boost For Manchester United

Manchester United fans were in for a treat as Jose Mourinho announced the return of their beloved Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The prolific striker was in blistering form for United last season and he played week in and week out for the club. However, a cruciate ligament injury saw him miss out for a few months but he is back in contention now. This actually comes at an opportune moment for the Red Devils, considering how poorly they fared over the last few games.

They lacked passion and drive in their attack and it almost felt as if Romelu Lukaku was trying to bear all the weight on his shoulders as none of his teammates made worthy contributions to him. He also was subjected to a lot of criticism for his inability to do anything in front of the goal and the return of Ibrahimovic could relieve a lot of burden off him.

The key will be to find a healthy balance between the two strikers. It can be argued that Ibrahimovic suffered a major overkill last season since he did play every single game up until the time he was injured. It is very easy for most of us to forget that Ibrahimovic is nearing the twilight years of his career even though he does not show it and Mourinho is unlikely to risk a similar outcome like the previous season.

The performance against Newcastle was certainly encouraging and it is time for the club to take it to the next level in terms of making a title challenge. Their rivals Manchester City are flying high on the top of the table now but it is not too late for United to catch them. In their quest to do so, Ibrahimovic, who earns £125,000-a-week, will play a pivotal role.

The swashbuckling Swede is known for his ability to make things happen for the team even when he lacks support from his teammates. Lukaku does not possess that, which makes him increasingly dependent on the likes of Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini. Hence, deploying Lukaku when either of them is playing will make sense but on those days when these two won’t be available, Ibrahimovic seems apt.

That said, the towering striker is apt for almost every situation but as much as everyone hates to admit it, he is on the wrong side of 30 and Mourinho needs to make the best out of this situation by finding a healthy balance between both these talented strikers.