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Arsenal: Zlatan Ibrahimovic Proves He’s Past It
Arsenal are in need of a striker and many have called for Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the new recruit. However, his recent performances in the Euros prove that he’s well past his best and would be a truly terrible signing for the Gunners.
The striker position is one that is generating debate this Summer. With the ever divisive Olivier Giroud the current starter, much of the arguments have centered around whether he needs to be replaced, and if he does, who should be brought in as that replacement.
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One name that has repeatedly cropped up is Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While the cocky Swede is not the usual transfer target of Arsene Wenger, with his contract running out his year and the possibility of him being available on a free transfer, there were significant rumors linking the big man to the Gunners.
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However, his performances in the ongoing European Championships are proving that he is far from the player he used to be.
Zlatan has looked, more than anything, slow. His style of play has often been described as lethargic and lackadaisical, however, in the three group games for Sweden in this year’s Euros, Zlatan has looked more than just a tad lazy.
His turn of pace has been non-existent, his touch has been sluggish and his game has lacked any sort of intensity. While this may be due to the tough group that he was drawn into, certainly Belgium and Italy are both excellent defensively and Ireland are very tough to break down, and he is not helped much by the team around him, there is something that is not right about his game.
After a long and tough season with PSG, Zlatan looks tired. A player who is renowned for his athletic ability, a physical beast throughout his long career, Ibrahimovic is lacking in exactly that area.
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The main reason that I can see for such a decline is simply age. Now at 34, the former Barcelona star is well past his best. Bringing him in when he is physically in decline, has no experience of the notoriously fast paced and intense Premier League simply doesn’t make sense, and Ibrahimovic is currently confirming it.