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Manchester United confirm striker Zlatan Imbrahimovic's departure

Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left Manchester United, the club have confirmed.

Ibrahimovic, 36, signed for United in the summer of 2016 to link up with Jose Mourinho, having won the Treble with the Portuguese coach at Inter Milan in 2010.

The Swedish striker enjoyed an impressive debut season in English football, scoring 28 goals in all competitions to help United win the Europa League and EFL Cup - with the veteran scoring the winning goal in the EFL Cup final against Southampton.

Unfortunately for United and Ibrahimovic, the forward suffered a serious knee injury in the Europa League quarter-final tie against Anderlecht last April to ended his 2016/17 campaign prematurely.

Despite his age, Ibrahimovic returned much quicker than expected from his layoff and signed a contract extension last summer despite United initially releasing him.

However, Ibrahimovic has been limited to just seven appearances this term by injury and the form of Romelu Lukaku, while the January arrival of Alexis Sanchez has pushed the Swede further down the pecking order.

A club statement read: "Manchester United confirms that it has agreed to the termination of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's contract with immediate effect.

"Everyone at the club would like to thank Zlatan for his contribution to the team since his arrival and wishes him well for the future."

Mourinho had said in January that he would not stand in Ibrahimovic's way if the striker wanted to leave Manchester, saying: "Zlatan is in the last year of his contract.

"If, if, if - and he said nothing to me - but if, if, if that is true, and Zlatan wants a future in another club in another country, we are here to help and create conditions to help, not to make his life difficult."