Verratti: PSG hope Ibrahimovic will stay

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti hopes Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains at the club, amid interest from elsewhere.

Ibrahimovic is in the final year of his PSG contract and has been linked with a return to Milan, as well as Galatasaray and Manchester United, while the Sweden captain harbours ambitions of playing in MLS.

Verratti understands the speculation but wants to see Ibrahimovic, who missed PSG’s 1-0 win over Lille in Friday’s Ligue 1 opener due to injury, stay put.

“Whether you like him or not, Ibrahimovic is an extraordinary player,” the Italy international told Sport Mediaset.

“If we’ve won almost everything in France, then we owe a lot of that to him. He’s helped PSG grow, and we’re proud to have him with us.

“We hope that he’ll stay.

“Of course, when you’re a champion like him it’s normal that you’ll be linked with the top European clubs in every transfer window.”