One of the players who has been synonymous with the decline of Chelsea last year is Branislav Ivanovic. The Serbian has been a loyal and competitive servant for the Blues over the years with his physicality and forward forays endeared him to the fans. But over the past year, he has suffered from a startling dip in form. And one of the observations has been his sharp decline in speed which has caused embarrassment to the right-back time and again when faced with nimble-footed wingers who have each given him a torrid time.
With Conte appearing on the scene it was understood that special importance would be given to the defensive scheme of things and hence Ivanovic’s future was already debatable. 10 matches into the season, he has well and truly lost his place and there is a major talk of him leaving the club in January or next summer.
With the future unresolved for the Serbian, we take a brief look at 3 clubs where he can move to prolong his top-flight career.
WEST HAM UNITED
The Hammers are not short on cash and ambition but are way short in terms of results. The London Stadium was supposed to usher in a new era in West Ham’s history in terms of footballing achievements but they botched up in the transfer window and to make matters worse, injury-hit them badly sidelining important first-team stars.
Being a London club, the animosity between the clubs might be a roadblock in any potential deal but the right-back conundrum at the club calls for reinforcements in that area.
STOKE CITY
Stoke City are another side of whom a lot was expected but their season got off to a horrible start. Although they have steadied the ship and are on a fine run of form now, there is a long way to go.
Their first choice right-back Glen Johnson was touted to be one of the finest in England while at Liverpool. But his sketchy injury record came in the way of his development and by the looks of it, Stoke can no longer rely on him to be available. Ivanovic would fit their style of play and his experience and threat from the full-back position will offer another route of attack.
LEICESTER CITY
The reigning champions have scarce depth in that department with Danny Simpson playing almost all the matches. Luis Hernandez has been used as a make-shift right-back on occasions but Ivanovic will give them a different and welcome dimension.
His experience will come in handy and his leadership qualities will bolster the leaky defence. With the Champions League progress a real possibility, he will add much-needed weightage to their options. With the cash in the bank, the wages wouldn’t seem to be an issue.
