How Many Goals Can Ibra Score?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has now netted more goals than Manchester United’s top scorer of 2015/16, Anthony Martial, which has us wondering what the Swede can achieve this season.

The towering striker, who has just been named the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for December, currently has 18 goals to his name following his late finish in Monday’s excellent 2-0 Premier League win at West Ham United. That is one more than the 17 strikes registered by Martial during the French prospect's impressive debut campaign with the Reds.

What is particularly exciting about Ibrahimovic’s scoring form is that he still has more than half of the season left to play, which suggests he could at least double his current tally by the end of 2016/17.

With United still competing for success in four competitions, there are potentially 36 matches that Zlatan could play in the remainder of the season. That total comprises 18 Premier League games and hopefully 18 matches in the FA Cup (excluding replays), EFL Cup and Europa League if the Reds reach all three finals.

The 35-year-old is more than likely to start the majority of those matches, too, with Jose Mourinho so reluctant to rest his main man due to his remarkable physical condition. 

Only David De Gea and Paul Pogba have started more times this season, and Ibrahimovic has made more appearances overall (28) than any of his team-mates. Not bad for a so-called veteran. 

So which previous United players' feats are within reach for our talismanic number nine? The table below lists the top 10 tallies recorded in all competitions in a single season and features some iconic names.