Ibrahimovic signs new AC Milan deal, unhappy Messi skips training

Zlatan Ibrahimovic nets 11 goals in all competitions after returning to AC Milan, January 2020. /VCG

Italian Serie A powerhouse AC Milan confirmed on Monday that Swedish veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a one-year contract extension with the club.

The 38-year-old striker who first signed for Milan in 2010 and won a Serie A title that season, rejoined the side from Los Angeles Galaxy in January and netted 11 goals in 20 appearances, helping the seven-time European champions arrest slump and bounce back from a poor first half of last season.

The well-traveled star has also starred for Inter Milan and Juventus in Italy and played for Manchester United in the Premier League and Paris Saint-Germain in France.

In an earlier interview, Ibrahimovic noted that he wanted to help Milan "return to where they belong". "For six months, we have done great things but we have not won anything. We must continue and do the same," he said.

A Barcelona fan with a banner is detained by the police outside the Camp Nou after captain Lionel Messi expresses wishes to leave the club immediately, Barcelona, Spain, August 26, 2020. /VCG

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who stunned the footballing world by handing in a transfer request last week, missed Barcelona's first training session of the new season on Monday.

La Liga announced on Sunday that the only way a club can sign the six-times world player of the year is if he triggers a release clause of 700 million euros (836 million U.S. dollars), but Messi's mind is set on leaving Camp Nou.

"As I have heard from several sides, the decision the player has come to is one that has matured over several years and is irrevocable. I don't believe that there is any going back," Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa was quoted as saying by Goal.

"Messi is a player who strives for maximum success," Freixa explained. "He alone cannot achieve maximum success, he needs a team for that. He does not have one. Since the treble in 2015, Champions League success is missing. That is what concerns him. His decision is due to the negative sporting development of the team in recent years."

"I think a move to Man City is likely," Freixa added. "With Pep, Messi experienced his most brilliant years in Barcelona. It would only be logical if both of them worked together again. City, like almost all English clubs, also has the financial means to build a team that can win anything."