Manchester United will reportedly face competition from Bayern Munich for top strike target Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

According to “reports in Germany,” via David McDonnell in the Mirror, incoming Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti, who previously managed Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-Germain, wants to reunite with the Swede, and the Bundesliga giants “have made an approach” to the forward.

McDonnell added that the German outfit fear the departure of Robert Lewandowksi to Real Madrid and will match Ibrahimovic‘s £200,000-a-week wage demands in order to snap him up, while they, unlike United, can offer him Champions League football next season.

Sky Sports News HQ recently reported that the Sweden international‘s move to Old Trafford was all but sealed with personal terms agreed and the 34-year-old set to undergo a medical at United following Euro 2016:

However, if Bayern have made an approach, that could throw a spanner in the works of United manager Jose Mourinho‘s plans to have his own reunion with the striker he once managed at Inter Milan.

As noted by McDonnell, the Champions League is “the one glaring omission” from Ibrahimovic‘s career trophy haul, which already includes two Eredivisie titles, six Italian scudetti (the two with Juventus revoked due to the Calciopoli scandal), one La Liga and four Ligue 1 wins.

Despite spending time at Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, he has never won Europe’s premier club competition, and he likely never will if joins United as they are far from the European elite at the moment and Ibrahimovic‘s career is nearing its end.

If the Sweden captain is still holding out hope of winning the Champions League one day, and there is an offer from Bayern, he would surely opt for a move to the Allianz Arena this summer rather than Old Trafford.

However, another major trophy missing from his CV is the Premier League, and he could well be tempted by leading an ailing United back to the summit of English football, as well as reuniting with Mourinho having enjoyed a good relationship with the Portuguese during their time at Inter, per Sky Sports’ Nick Wright.

Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones believes a top-class striker is the most important addition United need this summer, and Ibrahimovic would fit the bill perfectly:

His return of 38 goals in the French top flight last term was his best career haul in a league season, proving he is still performing at a very high level despite his relatively advanced years, per WhoScored.com.

Everything previously looked in place for him to move on a free transfer to United this summer—his PSG contract expires at the end of June—and, despite the reported interest from Bayern, the Red Devils must ensure they still snap Ibrahimovic up given how crucial he could be under Mourinho in reviving the club’s fortunes.

Elsewhere, another reported United target, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, will not be allowed to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer despite having only a year left on his current contract, as confirmed by the Bundesliga club’s chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watzke.

Per Bild (via ESPN’s Stephan Uersfeld), Watzke stated that the Armenia international would not sign a new deal at Dortmund but said it had never been agreed he would be able to leave before his current contract expired: “We’ve been negotiating a new deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan for four months. We now know he won’t sign an extension. There was never a promise that he can leave us prematurely.”

The comments fly in the face of recent insistence from Mkhitaryan‘s agent, Mino Raiola, who previously claimed the 27-year-old had been told he could leave amid interest from United, per Bild (via Uersfeld):

Those in charge at BVB promised Micki months ago that he can leave the club in the summer. Dortmund have an official offer, but the BVB bosses now fear their fans. All of a sudden they say that he has to leave on a free next summer. That’s very bad management.

Manchester United are a unique opportunity. Micki wants to join them now by any means. 

It is a big blow for United—who had reportedly submitted a €24 million (£19 million) offer for the midfield star—as Mkhitaryan is exactly the kind of creative presence who could bolster their misfiring attack having assisted 32 goals and scored a further 23 for club and country last season, per Uersfeld.

But with Watzke confirming the player will “stay in Dortmund next season,” United will seemingly have to look elsewhere as Mourinho looks to reinvigorate a struggling group.

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