Ibrahimovic has been awaiting a new club since confirming his departure from LA Galaxy at the end of the 2019 MLS season. A return to AC Milan has fallen through over failure to agree wages, but the Ancelotti factor briefly made Everton a potential option.
At one point, Everton were even rumoured by one Italian journalist to be in ‘advanced talks’ with Ibrahimovic. Having now taken over at Goodison Park, Ancelotti has said that the player is welcome, but will only ever be coming to visit and not to actually join the club.
“He is a good friend of mine and fortunately I have trained a lot of fantastic players,” Ancelotti commented in his first press conference as Everton boss, via Daily Mail.
“I think he finished his period in the United States and really I don’t know what his idea is. I am going to call him, if he wants to come to Liverpool to enjoy, he can come. But not to play, not to play!”
Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals in his first season with Manchester United in 2016/17, but his time at the club was cut short by a serious knee injury and he only played sparingly after that.
The 38-year-old, who previously worked with Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain, has since scored 52 goals in 56 MLS games for LA Galaxy during his stint in North America.
Everton are looking to a new era on the pitch under Ancelotti in which Champions League qualification is the ambition. But the club is also looking to take a step forward off the pitch as well, and designs for the proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Docks have been released.
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Source : 90min