Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins AC Milan, but how much can he help?

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic meets fans in the U.S., December 17, 2019.

AC Milan signed Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer until the end of the season with an option for a further year, the Serie A club announced on Friday.

"I'm coming back to a club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love. I'll fight together with my teammates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen," said Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic, 38, reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major League Soccer (MLS) on mutual separation six weeks ago. With 56 appearances for the team, he scored 52 goals.

AC Milan are no stranger to Ibrahimovic as he played two seasons there. In the 85 games he attended, the Swedish scored 56 goals and 24 assists. He also helped the club win the Serie A title in the 2010-11 season.

Players of Atalanta B.C. celebrate a goal in their 5-0 win over AC Milan at Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, December 22, 2019.

The Rossoneri are currently in a really bad shape. They rank No. 11 with a record of 6-3-8. On December 22, they were destroyed 5-0 by Atalanta B.C. at Gewiss Stadium, creating the worst loss in 21 years.

The process hurt even worse than the result. AC Milan watched the opponents finish 18 shots, of which 10 on the goal while their players did not even touch the goal at all. Considering that the team scored 16 goals and lost 24 in 17 games, it's safe to say that the Rossoneri have fallen into real trouble.

Then can Ibrahimovic become their solution?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) of AC Milan scores a goal in the game against ACF Fiorentina at San Siro in Milan, Italy, November 20, 2010.

Though he is 1.95 meters tall, Ibrahimovic has the world's top ball control. His passing, vision and finishing ability are also first class. However, his defects are also clear. Ibrahimovic has never been a good defender and he lacks passion to become one. He needs to be the center of the team to maximize his offensive power. Besides, Ibrahimovic's habit of dribbling the ball until he finds his pace does not fit in today's fast game.

So here's your answer: He will be able to help but Ibrahimovic is not the savior of Stadio San Siro.

What AC Milan should do is to learn from their mistakes and look at the big picture. Though the team has been struggling for years, their spending on transfer beats any other club in Italy since 2010. Their top office has always been impatient, both in dealing with managers and player purchases. They need to change that mindset before working on roster improvement.