Zlatan Ibrahimović signs a loan deal with AC Milan, but doesn’t leave Barça quietly

by Elizabeth Hanchett, writing from New York

It’s done. After a week of rumors and negotiations, FC Barcelona finally unloaded Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović to AC Milan for 24 million euros, on loan for a season, but with a clause stating that if purchased, he will be with Milan for four seasons.

For a player who was bought for around 70 million euros last season, making him one of the most expensive purchases Barça has made ever, 24 million euros on loan is a steal. And then there are the comments made by Ibra after the Gamper match to the Italian press, where he said “I don’t know what the mister’s problem is with me; he’s only spoken to me twice in six months”, to which Pep responded in his press conference: “If I haven’t spoken to him, it’s for a reason.” And after the contract was signed, Ibra’s declarations to the press were: “This is the end that the great philosopher Guardiola wanted. Whenever I entered a room, he left. I don’t know if he’s scared of me.” ”[Barcelona] won everything without me, with me they won something, but now I play for Milan and my dream is to win the Champions League with them. I will do everything within my power to win at Milan, one of the strongest clubs in the world, even bigger than Barcelona,” and finally “Would I come back if Guardiola leaves? I prefer not to comment on that.” And not only is it the player himself who’s talking, but his manager, Mino Raiola, who’s been putting words in Zlatan’s mouth. In fact, just yesterday, FC Barcelona released a statement concerning Raiola, discussing terms of a potential lawsuit due to defamation of the club and manager. Ouch.