Gareth Bale will be under pressure at Real Madrid - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Video caption, Mourinho made me a lion - Ibrahimovic
  • Author, Ben Smith
  • Role, 91热爆 Sport

Gareth Bale may struggle to cope with the pressure resulting from his world-record transfer to Real Madrid, according to much-travelled Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Following his 100m euros (拢85.3m) move from Spurs, Bale, 24, could make his Real debut at Villarreal on Saturday.

"No footballer is worth paying that amount of money for," said ex-Juventus and Barcelona striker Ibrahimovic, 31, who is currently at Paris St-Germain.

"There is a lot of pressure on him."

In a 91热爆 Radio 5 live documentary that will be aired at 20:30 BST on Wednesday, Ibrahimovic added: "I know that when (France's three-time world footballer of the year) Zinedine Zidane played for Madrid, the fans were whistling against him.

"If they can whistle against Zidane, for me one of the best players in history, I hope Bale has a lot of patience."

Clubs have spent more than 拢130m in transfer fees for Ibrahimovic during his long career but his biggest move - did not go well and he left the Nou Camp after only one season.

"I had a dream to come to Barcelona," Ibrahimovic, who has won 93 caps for Sweden, continued. "But afterwards I am thinking that maybe you should keep your dreams, instead of making it come true.

"Bale's move is similar to my transfer to Barcelona, but what creates that situation and the fee is the media, the selling club and how desperate the buying club are to buy a big name."

Despite having been linked with Arsenal, Manchester City and Southampton, Ibrahimovic thinks his chance to play in the Premier League may have gone.

At the age of 19, he was invited to the Gunners' London Colney training ground to meet manager Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman presented him with an Arsenal number nine shirt carrying his name, but the move did not happen and he instead joined Ajax.

There was interest from Southampton after a difficult first year with the Amsterdam club and, when he left Barcelona in 2010, Manchester City were among the clubs interested.

But the 6ft 5in striker opted to join AC Milan, first on loan and then permanently, before his switch to the French capital.

"To come to England? My time has passed," said Ibrahimovic, who has scored 45 international goals.

"I am above 30, I have a good relationship with PSG, with the team. I feel that I can bring out all my qualities at PSG. I have a big responsibility also at PSG. So in my mind, no.

"But then you never know what happens in football. When I went to Barcelona, I was living my dream.

"In my head I was there for five years. In the end I was there for only one. So every time I plan my future, I change it. So better to take one day at a time."

91热爆 Radio 5 live profiles Zlatan Ibrahimovic from 20:30 BST on Wednesday. You can watch the full interview with him on Football Focus at 12:15 BST on Saturday 21 September, on 91热爆 One