U21 national players in focus
©IMAGO
Arijon Ibrahimovic came to FC Heidenheim on loan from FC Bayern last summer and established himself as a regular player at the Brenz right from the start. According to Transfermarkt information, several clubs at home and abroad have now put out feelers for the 20-year-old, who made his debut in the DFB’s U21 team at the end of last year. In addition to four Bundesliga clubs, this also includes clubs from Italy and Spain.
The right-footer was on the pitch in all games for Heidenheim in the first half of the season and is currently an integral part of coach Frank Schmidt’s starting line-up. Ibrahimovic was in the starting line-up in 14 of 17 games in the first half of the season. The youngster completed the most sprints in the league to date (375; top speed 35.05 km/h) and leads this statistic by a long way, ahead of players like Hoffenheim’s Bazoumana Touré and Bayern’s Michael Olise.
The Nuremberg native increased his market value to 5 million euros in the latest transfer market update. The fact that Heidenheim would like to keep the offensive force beyond the loan deal with Bayern is hardly surprising given his convincing development – however, Ibrahimovic’s performances have aroused the interest of other clubs.
According to TM information, these include the two Serie A clubs AC Fiorentina and Cagliari Calcio, which have signaled their willingness to transfer. The youngster already knows the Italian top flight very well from his previous loan spells at Frosinone and Lazio Rome, with 17 appearances and two assists to his name. There has also been an inquiry from Villarreal FC in the Spanish LaLiga, and clubs from the Bundesliga have also paid particular attention to Ibrahimovic.
He recently made it clear to the Munich “Abendzeitung” that the player would like to have a permanent position in the next step. “I don’t want to be awarded again,” he told the newspaper at the end of last year, and also hinted that he could imagine a longer-term future at the Brenz. Now Ibrahimovic seems to have several options open to him. FC Bayern, where the U21 international is tied on paper until 2027, will play a decisive role in the future.
