PSG lost 8million fans after Ibrahimovic left for United – Blomqvist

Jesper Blomqvist has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain “lost eight million supporters”, after Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United this summer.

Ibrahimovic left the Ligue 1 champions at the end of last season after four years and signed for the Premier League side as a free agent.

Blomqvist, also a former Sweden international, says PSG have lost more than just a player.

 “He is one of the biggest personalities in Sweden,” Blomqvist told the Sun.

“He has launched his own perfume, Volvo cars and his own sports clothing range. He is his own brand. He is everywhere even though he has stopped playing for the national team.

“I work a lot with travel companies in Sweden coming over to Manchester. The interest is just triple. Zlatan is so big in Sweden. I think PSG have lost eight million supporters in Sweden and now they are all Manchester United. Not all but it is like that.

“More planes come over, they sell a lot more tickets to the United games. I have done it every now and then for a couple of years. Now there are 10 times more calls from companies who want me to come over with the supporters.”

Having Secured Alonso, Chelsea hopeful of Resigning David Luiz

Chelsea are confident of signing David Luiz although Paris Saint-Germain are holding out for an offer of between £40 million to £45m for the defender after rejecting an opening bid of close to £35m, sources have told ESPN FC.

Luiz moved to Parc des Princes from Stamford Bridge in 2014 in a £50m deal and won nine trophies as part of a team that completed two consecutive domestic clean sweeps under former boss Laurent Blanc.

The Brazil international has started all four of PSG's competitive fixtures so far this season. However, Le Parisien reported earlier this month that new coach Unai Emery has told the 29-year-old that he is no longer guaranteed a starting role.

Captain Thiago Silva is back in training after a hip injury and expected to be available after the international break, while his Brazilian compatriot Marquinhos has returned from Olympic duty in Rio de Janeiro triumphant and is available once again. Both figure ahead of Luiz in Emery's reported pecking order.

PSG rejected Chelsea's opening offer of around £35m on Tuesday, a source close to the French champions has told ESPN FC, but talks are continuing and the Ligue 1 giants are looking for somewhere between £40-£45m, while it is reported the Brazilian is on his way to London ahead of a possible 

The sale of Luiz is being given serious consideration by the French club because of Emery's view of the defensive situation and the possibility of selling a player without a European passport.

The former Chelsea man, along with skipper Silva, Maxwell and Lucas Moura, occupy PSG's four non-EU squad slots and selling one of them would enable the Ligue 1 champions to bring in an EU defender as a replacement and use the final foreigner berth for an attacker.

Recently appointed director of football Patrick Kluivert is very keen to bring in an additional striker to back up or compete with the struggling Edinson Cavani and almost all of Les Parisiens' summer targets in this area were non-European.

Luiz does not possess a Portuguese passport from his time with Benfica and counts toward one of the club's non-EU slots. The centre-back is also keen on a return to Stamford Bridge, but is not prepared to force PSG to sell him.

His current employers have been linked with Sao Paulo's Rodrigo Caio as a possible central defensive replacement for Luiz because of the player's

ESPN

We wondered what Ibrahimovic was doing in Ligue 1 – Roux

Saint-Etienne forward Nolan Roux has admitted he thought Zlatan Ibrahimovic was so good he did not understand why the striker was playing in Ligue 1.

Ibrahimovic spent four seasons in the French top flight with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 113 goals in 122 league games and winning four titles.

The Swede decided to seek a new challenge in the Premier League by joining Manchester United this summer and Roux believes he was beyond what Ligue 1 defences could handle.

“It’s a shame he’s gone,” he told L’Observateur de Beauvais. “At the same time, when we saw him play, we wondered what he was doing in Ligue 1.

“On the pitch, he exuded a calmness and serenity and was clearly on another level. He may sound arrogant, but it’s a game. I love this player.

“When we were facing him, it was useless to create an ‘anti-Zlatan’ game plan because he was almost impossible to mark.”