Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son follows his advice with first senior move and gets iconic shirt number

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son, Maximilian, has completed his first senior transfer by moving from one of his dad’s old clubs to another.

The 19-year-old has left AC Milan to join Ajax on loan for the rest of the season, with an option to make the deal permanent.

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The Sweden U19 international will wear the number 27 in Amsterdam, the first kit number his father was given at Malmo in 1999.

Ibrahimovic Jr. has starred for Milan Futuro in Serie D this season, having scored five goals and laid on four assists in 16 appearances.

His reserve-team form saw him receive his first maiden senior call up for Massimiliano Allegri‘s side for the Supercoppa Italiana last month.

Ibrahimovic, who was an unused substitute in Saudi Arabia for Milan’s 2-0 semi-final defeat to Napoli, has now left the Italians weeks later.

Ajax have confirmed he will initially play for Jong Ajax, who play in the Dutch second tier, with the plan to work his way into the first-team.

“We are very pleased with the arrival of Maximilian,” Marijn Beuker, Ajax director of football, said in a club statement.

“He is a talented forward with a good sense of positioning in and around the penalty area, and he has strong goal-oriented finishing.

“He is skilful with his dribbling and, above all, has a great winner’s mentality and training attitude.”

“He will initially mainly get his playing minutes with Ajax U23 and will regularly move between Ajax U23 and the first team during the season, so that he can get used to the higher level and the intensity of Ajax 1.

“Maximilian is a player with a lot of potential, and we hope that in time he can become a permanent part of Ajax 1’s attack.”

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Following in his father’s footsteps

Maximilian’s father, Zlatan, remains a hero at Ajax, having scored 48 goals in 110 appearances across a three-year spell from 2001-2004.

However, upon his arrival at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, his son said: “I am my own person and player, and I want to write my own story.”

“Nice that my father also played for Ajax,” he added. “I am happy that I get the opportunity to continue developing myself here as well.”

Ibrahimovic arrived at Milan from Hammarby in 2022 during his dad’s second stint as a player at the club.

Zlatan remains in an advisory role at San Siro, but his reduced influence has, in part, played a role in his son seeking pastures new.

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Milan have to be smart with their transfer business

European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT.com: “There’s a couple of elements to it.

“One being, and we don’t know if this is explicitly connected, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic is slightly less influential at the club than he was, say, six months ago, before Tare was there, when he was Gerry Cardinale’s right-hand man.

“So much of what was at the club went through him. Another part of it is that Milan always has to be looking for value.

“They’re not the same status that they had in 1990. If there were a [Marco] Van Basten and [Ruud] Gullit, [Frank] Rijkaard out there, they wouldn’t be in the market for them. There’s no doubt about that.

“They have to be smart with their transfer business…and the fact is that there was this interest in Maximilian Ibrahimovic.

“So, it’s not only a loan to get experience. They’ve actually got an option to buy in it, which was maybe the bit that surprised me a little bit.

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“Now, of course, his younger brother is still at the club, so there is still an Ibrahimovic on the playing staff. They’ve both turned pro.

“But it’ll be really interesting to see how he gets on now. By all accounts, a very different type of player. A wide player.

“But given how much Milan have put into developing young players, he’s come from good stock in that sense.

“Also, he’s got the advantage of arriving at Ajax when they’re having quite a rotten season,” Brassell continued to talkSPORT.

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“Things have improved a little bit under Fred Grimm, and they’re really back in the mix for a Champions League spot now.

“You’re talking about a player who was really not going to be getting on the bench regularly for a while.

“Now, he’s got the opportunity to play for a club that is going for a Champions League place for next season. That’s very exciting if you’re 19 years old. As well as, again, following in his dad’s footsteps.”