Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Marco Verratti has revealed the reported Arsenal transfer target “never answers” when the Italian asks him to stay with his current club. Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka is said to be warming up to the idea of playing for the Gunners.

As reported by Metro’s Mark Brus, Verratti told reporters he has done everything possible to keep the Sweden international in the French capital, but so far, Ibrahimovic hasn’t revealed his plans for the future, even to his team-mates:

“I always tell him to stay, but he never answers. He and the club will see. I, like all my team-mates, want him to stay because he’s had an extraordinary season. I don’t see anyone stronger than him. He’ll make a decision soon.”

Ibrahimovic’s contract expires at the end of the season, and the veteran is expected to leave PSG with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all said to be monitoring the situation.

The 34-year-old, who has never spent longer than a handful of seasons at the same club, has been with Les Parisiens since 2012, but the team’s lack of success in Europe is reportedly pushing him toward the exit door.

His agent Mino Raiola has already revealed that negotiations with former club AC Milan are underway, per GQ Magazine (h/t Football Italia). Ibrahimovic enjoyed some of his finest years in the Italian fashion capital, but the Rossoneri aren’t exactly in a position to challenge for the UEFA Champions League.

Here’s a look at some of the Swede’s highlights:

Ibrahimovic put together another fantastic campaign in 2015-16, defying Father Time by scoring an impressive 34 goals and adding 13 assists in Ligue 1, per WhoScored.com. He added five more goals and three assists in the Champions League, showing he’s not just beating up on Ligue 1’s weaker teams.

He scored in the Champions League quarter-final tie with Manchester City but was largely ineffective outside of that strike, as PSG were eliminated by an aggregate score of 3-2.

Ibrahimovic has never played in the Premier League, and back in 2014, he told the Guardian’s Donald McRae he would never move to an English club. His love for PSG was the reason he wouldn’t move, however, and according to Le Parisien (h/t Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson), things look different just two years later:

Whether Ibrahimovic would be a good fit for the Premier League—and the Gunners in particular—is another matter. The Daily Mail’s Martin Keown doesn’t believe so:

One could argue that Arsenal could use the winning attitude Ibrahimovic brings to the table—he has won titles with Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and PSG—but at his age, the inevitable decline will set in soon, and Arsenal may end up with an overpaid, ageing striker who has always been brash and has caused trouble in the past, per McRae.

Meanwhile, TransferMarketWeb (h/t Daily Star’s Alex Harris) claim Xhaka is being followed by the Gunners, Liverpool and Bayern Munich, but he’s growing “more inclined” to accept Arsenal’s offer for a move this summer.

The Switzerland international has enjoyed an excellent season in the middle of the park for Monchengladbach, and Bleacher Report’s Clark Whitney fears an exodus is imminent for the club:

Per Harris, Xhaka has already confirmed he dreams of moving to the Premier League, and no club has been linked with a move more than Arsenal. Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

The 23-year-old seems likely to join Arsenal at some point this summer, although Monchengladbach are expected to hold out for a significant fee.

 

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