Report: PSG President confirms plan for Zlatan

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of Paris Saint-Germain has confirmed what was long suspected: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be leaving PSG. At least, not prematurely.

In an interview with Le Parisien, Al-Khelaifi discussed his vision of the club's future, and responded directly to a question about Zlatan's future:

The question does not even arise. He stays with us next season, for sure.

Despite the exciting news of US visa applications and burgeoning business interests, it would appear Ibra's agent and the Swedish bookmakers knew best: no Zlatan for MLS any time soon.

As it happens, the last time Al-Khelaifi spoke to Le Parisien is also the last time we were at all encouraged to be excited about the prospect of him quitting PSG early. The reason for any excitement being that we have been told the USA and New York (!) features prominently in his plan for his career's next chapter.

But that chapter looks increasingly unlikely to start before the summer of 2016. Indeed, Al-Khelaifi is interested in hanging on to Zlatan beyond the terms of his existing contract:

I do not know what Zlatan wants to do after 2016. We will discuss; I would like to keep the club in a role defined. We want to keep our star.

Unless Ibra finds a way to insult the entire nation of France again, even Once A Metro's excitable rumor-trackers are forced to concede the dream of watching Zlatan in a New York Red Bulls' jersey some time this year has slipped away. Roll on 2016, and the next cycle of the Ibra-to-MLS rumor mill.