AC Milan revealed had difficulty to convince Ibrahimovic extend his contract
Although in the end they managed to reach an agreement, AC Milan apparently had difficulty convincing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to extend his contract at the San Siro. This was revealed by the technical director and club legend, Paolo Maldini.
Ibrahimovic himself joined AC Milan since January 2020. He docked at the San Siro for free after his contract with LA Galaxy ended on December 31, 2019.
Despite being 38 years old, the Swedish striker was still able to perform well with the Rossoneri and helped the club finish in 6th place in the final standings.
Unfortunately, when the initial agreement was made, Ibra was only signed until the end of the season. But because he was happy with the player’s performance, AC Milan then tried to keep his serve.
In the end, the effort to extend Ibra’s contract was successful, but Paolo Maldini could not deny that the negotiation process was quite tough.
“The transfer market has just started but we are continuing with various operations. The most difficult one is undoubtedly the renewal of Ibrahimovic’s contract, but that is also our priority,” Maldini told Sky Sport Italia.
Maldini understands that maybe people think AC Milan is too brave to take risks related to Ibra’s not young age. But Maldini reminded him that he himself won the last European Champions League title at the age of 39.
“He’s 38 years old, we know, and he knows too, but everyone ages in their own way. For example, I won my last Champions League at the age of 39, also won the award for best defender in that competition, “he exclaimed.
After successfully extending Ibrahimovic’s contract, AC Milan immediately moved to achieve other targets. They managed to recruit a young Spanish striker, Brahim Diaz.
The 21-year-old player was recruited from Real Madrid on loan for the next season. Maldini is very confident about the arrival of Brahim Diaz.
“He is a player who can play in various positions in attack. He’s a player who can make a difference,” said Maldini.
Ibra himself has joined the Milan squad for the Pre-Season training session. Meanwhile, Brahim Diaz still has to go through a medical test first.