Ibrahimovic is the temperamental, inconsistent enigma who has filled his boots in an inferior and discredited league, but struggled to perform on the big stage.

That is the theory. And it is absolute rubbish.

Early Doors doesn't know whether Ibrahimovic is worth £40 million plus Eto'o and a bit of Hleb, but he is undoubtedly one of the world's best players, and anyone who believes otherwise simply isn't looking hard enough.

So, let's explode some myths.

1 - La Liga is a huge step up from Serie A

Barcelona are better than Internazionale, no doubt. But are they playing in a superior league? Absolutely not.

Serie A's finest teams might not be as good as they were, but the general standard is just as good as in Spain, where the quality fades horribly in the lower reaches.

The fact that Barcelona scored 105 goals in 38 Liga games says as much about the defending of most Spanish sides as it does about the Catalans' attacking firepower.

Barca scored only three more league points than Inter last season yet scored very nearly a goal a game more.

That suggests there is more than a little cannon fodder in the lower reaches of the Liga table - cannon fodder like Sporting Gijon, who shipped a massive 79 goals and were not even relegated.

For pity's sake, the minute Diego Forlan and Fredi Kanoute touched down on Spanish soil, they transformed into the second comings of Ferenc Puskas and Eusebio.

2 - Ibrahimovic is too temperamental to be any good

Ibrahimovic might be outspoken but he is not noted for clashing with his team-mates or managers. Well, not since he and Mido fought each other with scissors at Ajax, anyway.

He was open about wanting to leave Inter for pastures new, but in a measured, reasonable way. Compare Zlatan's approach with the histrionics of Carlos Tevez, and make your own conclusions over who is the volatile one.

Eto'o is no saint either. He had a training-ground bust-up with coach Pep Guardiola in January and is prone to the odd barbed quote.

Simply put, Ibrahimovic is the kind of player Brits hate. Just because he looks languid, he is pigeon-holed as an inconsistent underachiever. Never mind the fact that he plays like a more skilful Didier Drogba.

3 - He has never performed on the big stage

This one is hard to refute, but only if you replace 'big stage' with 'when English people are watching'.

True, Ibrahimovic hardly covered himself in glory against Manchester United in last season's Champions League, and his overall record in Europe (18 goals in 66 games) is not great.

It is also the case that he performed poorly at Euro 2008, although he was carrying an injury and at least managed to get there, which is more than can be said for Wayne Rooney.

The problem is that few Brits watched him score twice on the final day of the 2007/08 season to win the Scudetto for Inter; significant big-match heroics.

And just because nobody saw the moments of magic that won him Serie A's 2008 Player of the Year award, plus the 2008/09 goal of the season and Capocannoniere titles, that doesn't make them any less valid.

The bottom line is that Ibrahimovic is a more complete player than Eto'o, he won't spend a month of this season at the African Cup of Nations and, most crucially, he wants to be at Barcelona.

Like Francesco Totti, he is the kind of player that just happens to rub British fans up the wrong way, but few can truly doubt he is a special talent.

While the Catalans might not have got themselves a bargain, Ibrahimovic has all the credentials to be a huge success at the Camp Nou, and stick it to his critics.

Sally Decker: Well, when I first heard the shot, and as I turned, Jim fell.
Capt. Ed Hocken: He's the teller, Frank.
Det. Frank Drebin: Jim Fell's the teller?
Sally Decker: No, Jim Johnson.
Det. Frank Drebin: Who's Jim Fell?
Capt. Ed Hocken: He's the auditor, Frank.
Sally Decker: He had the flu, so Jim
[pauses]
Sally Decker: filled in.
Det. Frank Drebin: Phil who?
Capt. Ed Hocken: Phil Din. He's the night watchman.
Sally Decker: [crying] If only Phil had been here!
Det. Frank Drebin: Wait a minute, let me get this straight: Twice came in and shot the teller and Jim Fell.
Sally Decker: No, he only shot the teller, Jim Johnson. Fell is ill.
Det. Frank Drebin: Okay, then after he shot the teller, you shot Twice.
Sally Decker: No, I only shot once.
Capt. Ed Hocken: Twice is the hold up man.
Sally Decker: Then I guess I did shoot Twice.
Det. Frank Drebin: Oh, so now you're changing your story.
Sally Decker: No, I shot Twice after Jim fell.
Det. Frank Drebin: You shot twice and Jim Fell?
Sally Decker: No, Jim fell first and then I shot Twice once.
Det. Frank Drebin: Well, who fired twice?
Sally Decker: Once!
Capt. Ed Hocken: He's the owner of the tire company, Frank.
Det. Frank Drebin: [pauses] Okay. Once is the owner of the tire company and he fired Twice. Then Twice shot the teller once.
Sally Decker: Twice.
Det. Frank Drebin: ...and Jim fell and then you fired Twice.
Sally Decker: Once!
Det. Frank Drebin: Okay. All right, that will be all for now, Ms. Decker.
Capt. Ed Hocken: We'll need you to make a formal statement down at the station.
Sally Decker: Oh, of course!
Det. Frank Drebin: You've been very helpful. We think we know how he did it.
Sally Decker: Oh, Howie couldn't have done it. He hasn't been in for weeks.
Det. Frank Drebin: Well.
[pauses]
Det. Frank Drebin: Thank you again, Ms. Decker.
[To Ed]
Det. Frank Drebin: Weeks?
Capt. Ed Hocken: Saul Weeks. He's the comptroller, Frank.