Manchester United pondering future coaching role for Ibrahimovic in talks over new contract

Manchester United are considering offering Zlatan Ibrahimovic a coaching role at the club as part of the new deal to re-sign him once he recovers from the injury he sustained at the end of last season.

The Red Devils released the former Sweden international earlier in the summer following the expiry of his contract, but have made it clear that they are open to offering him another short-term contract to play for the club.

He is currently a free agent recovering from a severe knee injury that he suffered while playing during the latter stages of United's Europa League campaign.

Ibrahimovic is keen to remain in Europe and play at the highest level and has turned down approaches from Major League Soccer (MLS) side LA Galaxy.

AC Milan have also confirmed their interest in signing the former Barcelona forward, but United remain favourites to seal his signature.

Manager Jose Mourinho is a big admirer of the striker and revealed recently that the club had opened talks over re-signing Ibrahimovic. He also revealed that the striker is very close to joining United despite interest from other clubs.

The Swede has been offered United's Carrington training facility for his rehabilitation, with the striker hoping to return ahead of schedule as the initial timeline for his comeback was slated to be at the start of 2018.

According to the Independent, the Portuguese manager views the influential Swedish striker as more than a short-term fix and believes he can provide the experience needed to guide the younger players in the squad.

This has prompted United to discuss a potential coaching role with the team once he hangs up his boots and the report claims that the idea has been mooted during discussions regarding the new deal.

Despite being a free agent, Ibrahimovic is certain to put a dent in United's wage structure as he earned a basic wage of £367,640 per week ($485,910 per week) at Old Trafford.

He was also entitled to a goal bonus worth £2.86m ($3.78m), taking his full fee paid by the Red Devils to £19.11m ($25.26m) last season, according to Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football.