Sunderland likely to miss out on Ibrahimovic

Sunderland's hopes of prising Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Ajax look to have faded.

A report in a Swedish newspaper reckoned the two sides had agreed a fee of £6.2m (€9.6m).

But the Amsterdam giants claim they have rejected the bid.

"We don't want to lose Zlatan," technical director Leo Beenhakker told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

"Firstly for sporting reasons and secondly the offer was less than we would like if he was to leave.

"We have just started the new season and it won't be possible to get a new striker in."