Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Would The Swede Fit In At Manchester United?

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has said he would welcome Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the club next season.

The Swedish star has previously hinted he will be on his way to the Premier League this summer, but could he fit in at Old Trafford? And, in particular, would he be able to play in the same side as captain Wayne Rooney?

Here, we take a closer look at the two strikers, compare their respective records and assess whether they could work together at Manchester United...

Goal record

While Rooney has spent his entire career so far in the Premier League, Ibrahimovic has lived a more nomadic existence, playing in five different leagues across Europe.

That, however, has not stemmed the Swede's strike rate. He has netted 291 goals in 478 league games in Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France, while Rooney has managed 192 goals in 429 league games for Everton and Manchester United.

Ibrahimovic has hit his league goals at a ratio of 0.6 per game, while Rooney has scored once every 2.2 games in the Premier League.

The PSG striker also leads the way in the Champions League, netting 47 times in 117 appearances in the competition (0.4 goals per game), while Rooney has 30 in 85 (0.35 goals per game).

Silverware

In his travels across Europe, Ibrahimovic has won 11 league titles across five nations. He's won the Eredivisie twice with Ajax, Serie A three times with Inter Milan and once with AC Milan, La Liga once with Barcelona and Ligue 1 four times with PSG.

He would also have two more Serie A titles with Juventus (2004/05 and 2005/06) were it not for them being revoked due to the match-fixing scandal in Italy at that time.

Rooney, meanwhile, has won five Premier League titles with Manchester United.

In terms of other trophies won, Ibrahimovic has a Dutch Cup, a Dutch Super Cup, three Italian Super Cups, two Spanish Super Cups, three French Super Cups, a French Cup and two French League Cups. He also picked up a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona.

Rooney has won two League Cups, three Community Shields and a FIFA Club World Cup with Manchester United.

The United striker, however, has one trophy that has so far eluded Ibrahimovic: the Champions League. Rooney won Europe's elite competition in 2008, whereas the Swede has never even played in a final.

Form

While Ibrahimovic, at 34, claims he is still playing the best football of his career, Rooney, aged 30, is on course for his worst ever goals return in the Premier League for Manchester United.

Rooney's form was just picking up before he was ruled out with injury last month, but the England captain is in real danger of failing to make it into double figures in the Premier League for the first time since he joined the club.

Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, is getting ready for another tilt at the Champions League with PSG as they prepare to face Manchester City in the quarter-finals next month.

The dominant capital club have also already secured the Ligue 1 title in record time, and are still on track for a second consecutive domestic treble.

Ibrahimovic has scored 35 goals in 40 games in all competitions for PSG this season, while Rooney has just 14 in 32 for Manchester United.

This summer, Ibrahimovic will lead the line for Sweden at Euro 2016 in France, while Rooney's place in England's attack is under serious threat from the likes of Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge.

So could they play together for Manchester United?

Ibrahimovic has previously indicated he would be keen on the pairing. Speaking to last year's BBC documentary, Wayne Rooney - The Man Behind The Goals, the Swede said: "He runs a lot, he fights a lot, he sacrifices a lot.

"When he played with Cristiano Ronaldo all the work was done by Wayne Rooney but he didn't get the credit because Ronaldo was scoring all of the goals.

"I'd prefer to have him in my team than play against him. I've not been lucky enough to play with him but I enjoy seeing him on the pitch - if I cannot play with him, I will watch him."

Fitting two talismanic strikers into one team, however, is no easy task. Sir Alex Ferguson struggled to keep Rooney and Robin van Persie happy during his final campaign in charge at Old Trafford, while Van Gaal had similar difficulties in attempting to squeeze Radamel Falcao in alongside that pair last season.

Recent concerns aside, Rooney is the club captain, a leader in the dressing room and, due to his stature, would still command a regular starting place. He is also just six strikes away from becoming the club's record goalscorer.

It also remains to be seen whether Ibrahimovic would even join a club that may not be playing in the Champions League next season but, if he does, whoever is in charge at Old Trafford would have a real headache with team selection.

The impressive form of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford offers hope for Manchester United's future, but Ibrahimovic could offer an instant short-term solution for a United side short on goals and flair this campaign.

Fitting Ibrahimovic and Rooney into the same side may lead to complications at Old Trafford, but the opportunity to sign one of the game's biggest superstars may still be too big an opportunity for the United hierarchy to pass up.

Credit: Skysports.com