Manchester United may have to wait until after Euro 2016 to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic after Sweden manager Erik Hamren fired them a warning this afternoon.
According to Sky Sports, the 34-year-old is poised to reunite with Jose Mourinho on a one-year contract at Old Trafford after leaving Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
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Sweden boss Hamren is unconcerned that the speculation over his future could distract Zlatan ahead of their Group E opener against Republic of Ireland on Monday.
But he made it clear at a press conference that his captain would not be given any leeway to leave the camp to complete a prospective transfer to the Red Devils.
“Players have their leisure time on the schedule, what they do then there’s nothing I can do to control. But it would not be okay for Zlatan to fly to Manchester,” Sky Sports quote him as saying.
“I’m one hundred percent sure (the furore) it will not affect Zlatan. He has been in the business a long time. He handles it perfectly.
“The players of the national team are accustomed to all the rumors surrounding Zlatan too. They are familiar with it. There is absolutely nothing that has affected us negatively in the group.
“I am for sure the rumors surrounding the captain will not affect the team. I understand there is a lot of Zlatan media, not only in Sweden. But, with us, it is nothing.”
Ibrahimovic scored 51 goals in 50 games for club and country last season – a career-best campaign – to help PSG stroll to a fourth successive Ligue 1 championship.
Sweden will need him to be in similar form – and free of distraction – as they have been drawn in the Group of Death alongside Italy, Belgium and the Republic.
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