Mourinho 'totally convinced' Zlatan Ibrahimovic will stay at Manchester United

For anyone who saw Manchester United as a one-year pit stop for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jose Mourinho has other thoughts. 

Mourinho says he is "totally convinced" Ibrahimovic will remain for another season at Old Trafford, where he has excelled as a goal-scoring forward in his first season in the Premier League. The 35-year-old Ibrahimovic, whose one-year club option hasn't yet been picked up, has scored 15 goals in league play so far, tied with Chelsea's Diego Costa for second most behind Everton's Romelu Lukaku (16). Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United after a successful run with PSG, and Mourinho says he is exceeding the expectations the club had.

“I’m totally convinced he is going to stay," Mourinho said at Manchester United's pre-match press conference before this weekend's clash with Watford. "He came with the intention to stay two years but in the minds of everyone the first year is going better than every expectation, he knows we are going to try again to improve next season and try to share with him in a fantastic way probably the last year of his career at the highest level.

“So I’m convinced that he’s staying, he’s adapted to the club, to the situation, I don’t see any problem with his family. I give him the possibility of an extra day off to go to Sweden, he doesn’t want this ever, so I’m totally convinced he is going to stay.”

In all competitions, Ibrahimovic has 20 goals in 33 competitions, including the game-winning goal in United's Community Shield triumph over Leicester City to announce his introduction to the Red Devils.

Ibrahimovic has been linked with MLS, among other places, with summer reports suggesting he would join the LA Galaxy prior to his signing with Manchester United.