Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is in talks with Zenit St. Petersburg and could join the Russian Premier League giants on a free transfer by the weekend, reports The Daily Mail.
Ivanovic has fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte since the Chelsea boss changed the team to a back three and no longer appears to have a long-term future at Stamford Bridge having previously been a figure of consistency during his nine-year spell at the club.
The 32-year-old has entered the final six months of his current deal but Chelsea are willing to let the Serbia international leave on a free transfer so he can find regular first-team football.
Everton, Leicester and West Ham have all showed an interest in the Chelsea defender but neither have tabled a serious bid, which has allowed Zenit to move ahead in the race to secure his signature this month.
Mircea Lucescu’s side are reportedly willing to offer Ivanovic a staggering three-and-a-half-year deal, which would take the experienced defender through until his 36th birthday.
Despite the fact Ivanovic’s form has fallen off a cliff in the last two campaigns, he has still only committed two error that has led to an opposition goal in his last 245 league appearances.
For more stats on Branislav Ivanovic, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
