A failure to invest sufficiently in the playing squad, the lack of an effective strategy for the future and poor recruitment during the early years of this decade has eroded United s domestic pre-eminence to the unthinkable point where the Red Devils are by no means guaranteed Champions League qualification, let alone certain to mount the perennial title challenge they took for granted for 20 years from 1993 onwards.
Louis van Gaal s underwhelming second season saw the team fail to seize the unique chance presented to them by the simultaneously weak campaigns produced at Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Now, 2016-17 looms as potentially one of the most competitive in Premier League history, with Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte arriving at the Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge respectively, while Jurgen Klopp will expect far more from his first full campaign at Anfield.
The need to match the ambitious appointments of their rivals had already prompted United s decision-makers to compromise their values and shelve their qualms over character to bring in Mourinho, divisive and dominant in equal measure.
Handing Ibrahimovic his first taste of English club football in the twilight of his career is also a big gamble and it will not be a cheap experiment, irrespective of the length of his contract.
The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain star is certain to be among United s highest earners, potentially restricting their options elsewhere in the transfer market.
And should he prove a Premier League flop, it will be difficult for Mourinho to distance himself from the dud, owing to their close relationship at Inter and shared mutual antipathy for new City coach Guardiola, something that is certain to be exploited ahead of the first Manchester derby of the season on September 10.
However, if Ibrahimovic is still capable of weaving the magic that has seen him win league titles in nine of the last 10 seasons, he could with ruthless winner Mourinho on the sidelines transform the unfulfilled potential of a United attack containing Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay into a genuine force to be reckoned with.
1 first league season at each new club since 2001 :
Ajax
Juventus
Inter
Barcelona
AC Milan
PSG
King.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean)
Reinforcements will be required elsewhere and questions remain about the Swede s capacity to adapt to the rough and tumble of the Premier League so late in his career.
But United, after years of neglect and bungling, appear to have finally taken decisive action in an attempt to halt their slide toward mediocrity.
And with one of the 21st century s most inventive and unpredictable players leading the charge, next season could yet prove to be a thrilling ride for United fans as the club collectively Dares to Zlatan.
