What If: Arsene Wenger had offered Zlatan Ibrahimovic a contract instead of a trial

#3 Arrival in Madrid as a Galactico

Owen signed for Madrid in 2004

Zlatan has never been loyal to a single club, regardless of the emotions attached to a couple like Malmo and AC Milan. Having graced the Premier League with his talent and four years into his five-year Arsenal contract, Arsenal would be willing to let go of his services a year earlier before Zlatan could enforce the Bosman rule and leave on a free. The obvious next destination – Real Madrid.

Under Florentino Perez’s first tenure as President, Real Madrid had undertaken a route to purchase some of the best players on the planet for luxurious amounts. The ‘Galacticos’ famously won the 2003 Champions League thanks to Zidane’s spectacular volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the finals.

But the triumph was succeeded with the sacking of the manager, Vicente Del Bosque and a barren year followed. In 2004, although not the biggest transfer statement, Real acquired the services of Michael Owen from Liverpool due to his prolific years at the Merseyside club.

If Arsenal had just gone unbeaten the entire season with Ibrahimovic lighting up the Highbury, Real would have come calling for his signature instead of Owen’s. Owen was a dramatic bust in the Spanish capital, but Zlatan would have lived the life of a Galactico on and off the pitch as can be expected.

Perez’s presidency and the Galactico era ended in 2006 after a dismal couple of years, but the presence of Zlatan could have extended both.