Could Zlatan Ibrahimovic return to Serie A with Napoli?

Super-agent Mino Raiola appears to have hinted that high-profile client Zlatan Ibrahimovic could turn out for Napoli before he calls time on an illustrious career. The confident striker is currently seven months into a one-year contract at Manchester United, where he has successfully dismissed archaic concerns over an ability to thrive in English football and questions regarding his advancing years by netting 19 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions.

Such was the Ibrahimovic's swift impact at Old Trafford that Jose Mourinho insisted as early as November that United would choose to execute their option to automatically extend the remarkably durable former Sweden captain's deal by a further year. However, nothing has yet been made official and it is unclear at this stage if there have even been discussions between the two parties.

Many consider United to be the final significant challenge of a memorable journey through six different European countries that has seen Ibrahimovic claim a glut of silverware. However, it could be that one last stop in Italy, where the 35-year-old won four Serie A titles during previous stints with Juventus, Internazionale and AC Milan, could well be on the agenda.

"As for Ibrahimovic, he's always been in love with Naples and the passion of the Neapolitans and I've always said that openly because he grew up in a family which was similar to the Neapolitans and then with me," Raiola recently told Radio Crc, as per The Mirror.

"He knows what the love of the Neapolitans means and that passion has always attracted him. I know that [President Aurelio] De Laurentiis knows him, and with Zlatan you never know what could happen."

Another prominent name on Raiola's lengthy list of players is Mario Balotelli. The controversial former Manchester City and Liverpool striker is currently plying his trade in France with Nice and it appears that his next move will not be decided upon until the summer amid mounting interest.

"Mario is fine at Nice because he wants to show the world that he's become a calm person, he just wants to work and that's what he's doing," Raiola said. "There are a lot of teams who asked for him, from China to northern Europe, but we've said we'll wait a few months to decide Balotelli's future. We don't rule anything out, neither Napoli nor other clubs, we'll see what happens in the summer."