Ibrahimovic: I´ve never heard of N´Koulou

Paris Saint-Germain star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed never to have heard of Marseille starlet Nicolas N’Koulou.

The talented 22-year-old has impressed in Ligue 1 ever since his switch from Monaco in 2011, and has reportedly attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United in the past.

Ibrahimovic has been in fine form himself since his move to Parc des Princes from AC Milan, but seemingly played down the potential of the Cameroon defender when appearing on French TV show Telefoot, claiming he had never heard of him.

When the presenter suggested the Marseille man was the only player who could stop the Swede, he said: “N’Koulou, who is that? I don’t know him. Never heard of him.

“This is not a lack of respect, but when I don’t know a player, I don’t know him.”

The mercurial striker has often been labelled as being too self-assured throughout his career, but the 30-year-old has insisted such views of him are mistaken.

“I’m a simple guy. If you think I’m arrogant then you don’t know me. But when people keep talking about you, that means you’re an important person,” he said.

PSG have invested heavily in order to build a squad capable of challenging for European honours, and Ibrahimovic said all his efforts were designed to help Carlo Ancelotti’s side claim the continent’s biggest prize.

“I’m not 100 percent, but I train everyday so I can win the Champions League with Paris,” Ibrahimovic said.