'His ego has an ego!' Zlatan pens pompous message to announce LA Galaxy exit, tells fans to 'go back to watch baseball'

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's two-year stint in Major League Soccer will come to an end next month after the Swedish star announced his upcoming departure from the LA Galaxy in typically eccentric fashion.

Ibrahimovic's contract with the Los Angeles club expires at the end of the year and with the 38-year-old considering a final stint in a major European league before calling time on his career, he thanked Galaxy fans for their support and told them that now they can "go back to watch baseball."

His spell in the white jersey saw him score 53 goals from just 58 appearances across two seasons but even with those impressive numbers, the former Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United frontman was unable to prevent his side from crashing out of the MLS Playoffs to arch rivals Los Angeles FC.

"I came, I saw, I conquered," he wrote on Instagram. "Thank you @lagalaxy for making me feel alive again. To the Galaxy fans - you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball."

"We would like to thank Zlatan for his contributions to the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer," LA Galaxy president Chris Klein said.

"Since his arrival in 2018, Zlatan has positively influenced the sport of soccer in Los Angeles. We are grateful for his work ethic and passion.

"We thank Zlatan for his professionalism and immeasurable impact on the Los Angeles community and the soccer community in North America as a whole."

Despite Ibrahimovic's impressive goal tally, Galaxy were successful in just one playoff game in his tenure with the club and he also came up short in the race for this year's MVP award which went to former Arsenal player Carlos Vela who scored a league-record 34 goals this season.

He hasn't yet given any strong indication as to his next move but last month suggested that he could be on the verge of a return to Spain. He is also linked with Serie A club Bologna, in part due to his close friendship with manager Sinisa Mihajlovic. 

And it will come as little surprise to learn that Zlatan imagines that he will be a success wherever he lands.

"I know I could still make the difference, both in Italy and in other countries," he said last month.

"I'd do better than the players who are there playing now."