AC Milan confirm Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not extend contract

AC Milan have informed media that there will be a ceremony to salute Zlatan Ibrahimovic at San Siro tomorrow, as his contract will not be renewed, but his Serie A career could continue.

The striker turns 42 in October and his current deal is due to expire on June 30.

It had been evident for some time that he would probably not continue his playing career with the Rossoneri after a season dominated by injury problems.

🚨 Zlatan Ibrahimović leaves AC Milan. The club have planned for farewell on Sunday at San Siro as contract expires and will NOT be extended. #ACMilan

Ibra will turn 42 in October; he will make a decision on his future in the next days. pic.twitter.com/1NEfmRhZ65

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 3, 2023

He has been able to make only four Serie A appearances this term, scoring one goal, in a total 144 minutes of football.

As Zlatan Ibrahimovic is again out injured tomorrow against Hellas Verona, there will be a brief ceremony at the end of the match in which the Swedish striker can salute the supporters in the stands.

It had been a rumour, this afternoon Milan informed the media covering the game about the timing of the event, effectively confirming Ibrahimovic will not renew his contract.

He had two spells in the Milan jersey, from 2010-2012 and returning in January 2020, making 163 competitive appearances with 93 goals and 35 assists.

🚨 BREAKING: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will LEAVE AC Milan at the end of the season 🦁 (via @FabrizioRomano) pic.twitter.com/hTd13PEgKa

— 433 (@433) June 3, 2023

At the club, Ibrahimovic won two Serie A titles and a Supercoppa Italiana.

This might not be the end of his career, though, because Monza are interested in bringing the veteran over to the U-Power Stadium.

It would be a reunion, considering Monza are run by former Milan chiefs Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani.

Former Italian prime minister Berlusconi, who sold Milan for 740 million euros in 2017 after three decades of glory and bought Monza for a relative pittance the following year, took Ibrahimovic to Milan on loan from Barcelona in 2010.

The Swede won Serie A that campaign, which had been Milan's most recent league title until pipping local rivals Inter Milan on the final day of last season.

Ibrahimovic was a key figure in Milan's resurgence to the top of Italian football after his return to the club as a free agent in late 2019, helping to bring them back from the doldrums and eventually win the Scudetto last season.