The owner of Championship side Leeds United, Andrea Radrizzani, has revealed that he held talks with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in January. The Mail Online’s Amitai Whitehouse also says that he had permission from Paris Saint-Germain to speak to Edinson Cavani and Leeds looked to bolster their attacking ranks.
Leeds United Owner Andrea Radrizzani Held Talks With Zlatan Ibrahimovic in January
The Ibrahimovic Deal
Leeds were down to one main striker after Arsenal cut short the loan deal for Eddie Nketiah at the club. The youngster found game time hard to come by at Elland Road and struggled to displace Patrick Bamford in the team.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side reportedly then turned to free agent Ibrahimovic, who had come to the end of his spell in the USA with LA Galaxy, where he scored an astonishing 53 goals in 58 games.
Radrizzani said: “I spoke more concretely with Zlatan (Ibrahimovic). He could give us a decisive push but he decided to go to (AC) Milan. He was very honest and transparent with me.”
The former Sweden international instead ended up signing a six-month deal to return to AC Milan, but for a Championship club to have held those talks in the first place shows the level that Leeds are aspiring to be at.
The club’s owner said talks did not get too far, though, and even suggested that Bielsa was unaware of the talks with both Ibrahimovic and Cavani as neither had got to the point where the boss needed to be involved.
Leeds currently sit top of the Championship, a point ahead second-placed of West Bromwich Albion. With the season currently suspended, though, it’s unclear whether they will be given the opportunity to try to extend that lead or whether the season will be ended early.
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