AC Milan are weighing up a bid for Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, according to Daily Mirror.
The veteran Chelsea defender, who turns 32 next month, has now entered the last six months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has still not been awarded an extension.
Since joining the Blues from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008 January transfer window, the Serbia international has been a role model showing great consistency, but started this season in diabolical form which further uncertain his future at Old Trafford.
Ivanovic has played 83 matches for his country and, before this season, was regarded as one of the best defenders currently playing in Premier League. The senior member of the Chelsea squad has been really given a challenging time by his opponents during this term and it is understood that he is unlikely to given another chance when the first team squad is revamped at the end of this campaign.
But Ivanovic’s performances have recently started to improve, and Serie Giants AC Milan are still, according to reports in Italian and British media, hopeful of tempting the versatile defender either this month or on a free contract at the end of this season. Not only Milan, their neighbour Inter along with Fiorentina trying hard to make a deal with Chelsea for the Serbian.
AC Milan are right now preparing to raise more funds for new signings by offloading as many as seven players in the January transfer window. They splashed big money to sign Carlos Bacca and Andrea Bertolacci but need to reach the Champions League next season in order to restore balance. But the fact is that, the Rossoneri are now seven points adrift third-place and are desperately looking to this January transfer window to strengthen their squad.
According to some unconfirmed reports in Italian media, Milan have decided to sell goalkeeper Diego Lopez, defender Rodrigo Ely, Philippe Mexes, Cristian Zapata, midfielder Antonio Nocerino, Nigel De Jong and winger Alessio Cerci. Among these seven players only Cerci managed to play more than 10 matches for Milan this season, so the Italian outfit would not be losing key members of the squad in their quest for the Champions League.