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Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a contract that gives him Designated Player status ahead of the 2019 season, the LA Galaxy announced on Tuesday. The former Sweden international was already under contract for next year but had chafed over a deal that paid him $1.5 million in 2018, a season in which he scored 22 goals and had 10 assists in 27 games and was nominated form the league's Most Valuable Player award. "There was a lot of talks, a lot of rumors, a lot of whispers around. But actually I never left," Ibrahmivoic said. "I stayed here, and like I said, I'm not finished yet with the MLS. I'm still not satisfied with the outcome, I have things still to do. "I see my first year as warming up, and I think that my second year will be different. Now I know the league, I know my opponents more, even if they've known me since day one, I know how to handle it better now and I know what to do. The first year was a warming up, this year, I come to finish it." Ibrahimovic, 37, joined the Galaxy in March after a long career in Europe, where he played for Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. "We are very pleased to sign Zlatan to a new contract that will see him return for the 2019 season," said Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese. "He showed his value last season and we look forward to him representing our club next year. With Zlatan returning, we will continue to improve our team in advance of the season." The deal means the Galaxy, which failed to make the postseason after finishing seventh in the Western Conference, will have to move one of three existing DPs -- Gio dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos, and Romain Alessandrini -- out of the club before the start of the 2019 season. "I want to bring the trophy home. I came here to leave a stamp and I didn't get to do that in my first year. I'm not one that leaves without winning because everywhere I've come, I've won," Ibrahimovic said.
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