Barcelona Eyeing Chelsea Raid, Veteran Midfielder May Leave For La Liga
Dec 30, 2016 at 4:47 PM
Barcelona are reportedly considering signing one of Chelsea’s longest serving player to La Liga in what may just be a win-win move for all the parties.
According to The Sun, the Catalan giants have just £21 million to spend in 2017 and are looking for bargain additions to their squad.
One such bargain Barca are said to be interested in is Chelsea stalwart Branislav Ivanovic, while 34-year-old Darijo Srna of Shakhtar Donetsk is also an option the Camp Nou club are thought to be considering.
Ivanovic has been one of Chelsea’s most dependable players in recent times helping the club to two Premier League titles, three FA Cups as well as one Champions League triumph having first joined in 2008.
Now aged 32, the Serbia international could be about to make one last major move in a career which one expects even at this stage he doesn’t look back upon with all too many regrets.
Since sustaining an injury in mid-October, Ivanovic has found it difficult to make the same impact in the Blues’ first XI as he had done at the beginning of the campaign with Antonio Conte now preferring a trio of David Luiz, César Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill across the back.
With this formation having paid dividends of late perhaps a move to Barca could be the right decision for all concerned. While still a hugely beneficial option off the bench, Conte will know Ivanovic’s days at the top are numbered while Barcelona need a cheaper option than would be the norm to fill the void left by Dani Alves’ summer departure to Juventus.
With so much European experience under his belt, Ivanovic, although not be the obvious choice for the majority of the Barcelona faithful, makes perfect sense as a short-term solution and could tie things up nicely at the back for Luis Enrique’s side should they go for the former Lokomotiv Moscow man.