The Qatari version of PSG made its first splash on the transfer market just one year after the takeover of the club with the signing of its first confirmed star. But it seems that the player in question initially showed great reluctance to the idea of leaving his club to join PSG. Explanations.
The facts date back to July 2012, only one year after the purchase of the PSG by the new Qatari owners. In search of high-sounding names on the transfer market, Leonardo (sports director of the club at that time) used his important network in Serie A to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming from Milan AC. A real coup for PSG on the market since the Swedish striker had been inducted as a superstar, and yet, Ibrahimovic obviously had no desire to come to France…
“I said I didn’t want it.”
Questioned in the columns of La Gazzetta dello Sport last October, Zlatan Ibrahimovic talked about the behind the scenes of his transfer to PSG : « Arriving in Paris was difficult, I didn’t want to leave Milan, where I was happy. At the beginning of the summer I said to Galliani (AC Milan vice-president at the time) ‘Promise me you won’t sell me’ and he said ‘Okay’. One day I received several calls, I started to understand what it was about and when I spoke to Mino Raiola he told me ‘Everything is done’ and I replied that I didn’t want it “, indicates the former Swedish striker, who had initially refused to leave the Milan AC for the PSG.
“In the end, it was fantastic”
But the financial conditions were far too attractive for the Milan AC refuse this deal with the PSGespecially since the capital club was recruiting at the same time another confirmed player from the club red and black as recalled Ibrahimovic : « They put Thiago Silva and me in one package. I looked at the project, where they wanted to go and in the end I said yes. I’m a man of my word and in the end it was fantastic », indicates the former star of PSGwhich therefore played at the Parc des Princes from 2012 to 2016.
