Besiktas turned down the opportunity to sign the former Sweden international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic prior to his move to Los Angeles Galaxy, according to the Turkish outlet Hurriyet.

Per the source, Ibrahimovic’s representatives offered the striker out to the Black Eagles. Several Besiktas chiefs were keen on the move as a means to increase the club’s global presence.

However, Besiktas ultimately decided against making an offer for Ibrahimovic due to financial reasons. Hurriyet states that Besiktas would have needed to raise €10 million to cover the transfer and contract costs.

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The Istanbul giants also believed that signing Ibrahimovic could upset the balance of the squad.

Ibrahimovic ended up leaving Manchester United last week and put pen-to-paper on a move to the LA Galaxy.

The 36-year-old has managed to play just a 102 minutes of Premier League football this season. Ibrahimovic only recently recovered from a serious knee ligament injury he picked up towards the tail end of last season.