Veteran Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic, hours before announcing his official departure from AC Milan, admitted there is an offer from a new team to join him next summer, despite being over 41 years old.

Ibrahimovic confirmed – in an interview with the newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport" Italian – that Adriano Galliani, president of Monza club is constantly communicating with him in order to include him in the team.

"Galliani has been communicating with me every day for 3 years and constantly telling me that Monza is a beautiful city and that it has an attractive nature," Ibrahimovic said.

"He always tells me that the contract is on the table, but we haven't reached any agreement, I'm currently a Milan player and proud of that."

In his first ever Serie A season, Monza is tenth in the table with 52 points, and at worst will finish 11th and may rise to ninth, all depending on the results of the 38th (last) matchday of the Calcio.

Ibrahimovic missed most of the 2022-2023 season due to injury, appearing in only 4 matches, all of them in Serie A, scoring one goal.

On his physical condition, Ibrahimovic said: "What matters to me now is to go back to the pitch, otherwise my feeling of happiness will end. I still want that but I need balance."

Fourth-placed Milan concludes the current season's matches against Hellas Verona in the league on Sunday, and has confirmed "La Gazeta" that Ibrahimovic will miss this confrontation as well.

Despite turning 41, Ibrahimovic is not considering retiring and seems determined to continue playing until the next European Cup (Euro 2024 at least).

Asked about the possibility of retiring, Ibrahimovic replied: "I don't think so, I think I should keep playing."

Milan confirm Ibrahimovic's departure

Hours after Ibrahimovic's comments, Milan announced that the player would leave the Rossoneri after his last match of the season against Verona.

Milan said in a statement: "On Sunday evening after the final match of the season, Milan will bid farewell to Ibrahimovic in a brief ceremony."

"Milan would like to thank Zlatan for the great time we spent together."

Ibrahimovic was a key factor in Milan's rise to the top of Italian football after returning to the club on a free transfer in late 2019, helping the club rise from recession and eventually win the league title last season.

🚨 BREAKING: Zlatan Ibrahimovic will LEAVE AC Milan at the end of the season 🦁 (via @FabrizioRomano) pic.twitter.com/hTd13PEgKa

— 433 (@433) June 3, 2023

Having played an active role in Milan's domestic and continental brilliance (reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League this season and losing to Inter 0-3 on aggregate), Ibrahimovic has not featured much in Stefano Pioli's squad this season, returning to action in February after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

Ibrahimovic has started one game for the Lombard side this season, beating Udinese 3-1 in March, when he became the oldest scorer in league history Milan won the title last season.

He then suffered a right calf injury during the warm-up before Milan beat Lecce 2-0.