Manchester United can repeat their Zlatan Ibrahimovic plan in transfer market

"Zlatan needs no introduction. The statistics speak for themselves," said Jose Mourinho when Manchester United signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer of 2016.

Ibrahimovic was 34 years old when he signed and some questioned whether he would be able to perform in England, but he made a mockery of those doubts in his debut season.

The striker contributed 28 goals and 10 assists in all competitions and the transfer was a resounding success, which earned him a one-year contract extension at Old Trafford.

ALSO READ: I worked for Ratcliffe and Ineos - he should learn from mistakes

ALSO READ: United explain Berrada appointment

It was the right decision to sign Ibrahimovic on an initial one-year deal and although his second campaign did not go as planned, supporters remember his time at the club with fondness.

Ibrahimovic was a short-term signing and he served his purpose of regularly scoring goals. United have struggled to find the net this season and they could do with someone of his ilk.

Rasmus Hojlund was signed from Atalanta in a £72million deal last summer and in an ideal world, a more experienced forward would have been brought in alongside him.

Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen were the early front runners but neither move materialised, which means Hojlund has been left to shoulder the burden of scoring the team's goals.

Hojlund has shown qualities that suggest he will be prolific in the Premier League in the future, but he is still raw at just 20 years old and his haul of seven goals seems par for the course.

The Denmark international would have benefited from working closely with an experienced striker colleague this season, not least because that would have alleviated pressure on him.

The unreliable Anthony Martial