Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is reportedly being scouted by many clubs. After the Serbian stopped being a regular in the Chelsea first team, a few clubs have set sights on the centre back, who could be a valuable addition to any squad.
According to Croydon Advertiser, Premier League clubs Crystal Palace and West Ham United are trying to plot a move for Ivanovic and with his contract expiring next summer, there is a high possibility that the centre-back, who can also play right-back could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.
Apart from the English clubs, European giants like AC Milan and Marseille have also been linked with a move for the 32-year-old. Another speculation is that the Serbian is eyeing a move to Chinese side Jiangsu Sunning, following the footsteps of Ramires, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba.
However, Chelsea’s London rivals West Ham are reportedly trying to force a move in the January transfer window itself as his experience could really help revive their season. And if Ivanovic continues to stay out of Conte’s plans, then this might well be a possibility.
Since joining the Blues in 2008 for a fee of 20.40 million pounds, Branislav Ivanovic has won all major tournaments for Chelsea, which includes English Premier League, English FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and English League Cup. Despite being a defender, Ivanovic has a knack of moving up front, which has led him to score 29 goals and bag 27 assists in 309 appearances in English Premier League.
His strong build empowers him to hold on to the ball efficiently and win more aerial duels. He was an essential part of Chelsea’s last Premier League winning team of 2014-15 under Mourinho. But since then, the decline of the club have led to many players from the old squad to be left out on the bench, which includes Fabregas, Terry, Oscar and Ivanovic.
Ivanovic would surely find a first team chance in the West Ham United squad, who have been struggling at the back conceding 14 goals already in the opening 10 games. West Ham have Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou Kouyaté in those positions and Ivanovic could easily replace them.
The deal looks quite unlikely with Chelsea likely to play hardball by avoiding the sale to a London rival. But if Slaven Bilic does pull it off, the player could be a pretty good addition of played in a more central role. The Hammers signed some decent players but it was a far cry from what they managed last season. So, expect them to spend a bit in the winter transfer window.
