Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic, of Ligue 1 club Paris St Germain, has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Manchester City Reuters

Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic is reportedly a transfer target for Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea, after the 31-year-old Paris St Germain (PSG) forward absented himself from training sessions. The Daily Mail reports a club spokesperson as playing down the incident but also noted other disciplinary issues that seem to have cropped up between club and player.

The former Barcelona and Ajax striker signed for the club in the French capital in the summer, after a successful spell with Italian club AC Milan. The Parc des Princes' marquee signing cost £18m and was joined by another Rossoneri star, Brazilan defender Thiago Silva, in moving to France.

Disciplinary problems aside, Ibrahimovic has been his usual prolific self with his new club and has 17 goals (and three assists) in 14 Ligue 1 appearances, with another two strikes in Champions League games. And this unerring instinct for finding the back of the net has led the Premier League and European champions to profess an interest in signing him.

Chelsea and Falcao

The Blues, however, are also linked with a mega-bid for Colombian international Radamel Falcao. The Atletico Madrid striker has been equally lethal in front of goal, with 16 goals in 14 La Liga games. The 26-year-old was first linked with the Stamford Bridge club in the summer, after his hat-trick won a UEFA European Super Cup game against Chelsea. There are reports that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will sanction a £48m move for the forward (and pay him £200,000 per week).

City and a Fifth Striker

Meanwhile, the English champions are also believed to be looking for a striker, as speculation continues to grow over Italy international Mario Balotelli's future at the Etihad. The 22-year-old was handed a surprise start in last weekend's derby defeat to Manchester United and failed to impress, leading manager Roberto Mancini to warn him of his conduct.

The former Inter Milan striker has been linked with a return to Italy. More interestingly, the Daily Star linked him with a £40m move to PSG. A swap deal for Ibrahimovic, then, is a possibility, although, at this stage, that seems highly unlikely.