CorSport: Ibrahimovic advises Milan to try sign Bayer Leverkusen winger

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has suggested to AC Milan that they try to sign Bosnian wonderkid Kerim Alajbegovic, a report claims.

Having secured a new striker – which was Milan’s top priority in the summer transfer window – the new management remain hard at work on other incomings. Gonçalo Ramos will join from PSG in a club-record deal, but they need more reinforcements and have other positions to fill.

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According to Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), the likely departure of Rafael Leao means the Rossoneri are looking for a someone who can play in the two behind the striker, something that is a hallmark of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

One name that has piqued interest is Alajbegovic, an 18-year-old who played for Red Bull Salzburg this season but who will officially join Bayer Leverkusen on July 1st. The Bundesliga club loaned him to Austria but retained a buy-back, and he scored a beauty for Bosnia at the World Cup.

Now Aljabegovic has a sponsor at Milan too, one who has an important influence on the decisions: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede, who is in the United States commentating on the World Cup for Fox Sports, had some very positive words for the young winger after his goal against Qatar.

“The finish was beautiful, yes. The technique was perfect, yes. But what struck me was his confidence before the goal. The way he asked for the ball, the way he sensed the moment. Great players don’t wait for chances. They create them,” he said.

“Everyone talks about the goal, but for me, the goal isn’t the greatest thing. The most surprising thing is his courage. An eighteen-year-old at the World Cup, under pressure, with millions of people watching him, plays as if he owned the stadium. That’s rare.

“Many young players have talent. Talent is everywhere. But talent without personality is useless. When I watched Kerim, I didn’t see a young player hoping to have a good game. I saw a player who believed he was the best on the pitch.

“People will say this is the start of his career. Maybe. But if he maintains this mentality, this goal will be remembered as the moment football realized who Kerim Alajbegović is. The World Cup is where stars are born. Today, a new one has emerged.”

The paper claims that the Swede has effectively ‘advised AC Milan to try and sign him’. Will the executives listen? Amorim, it seems, will have the final say.