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Chelsea defender in talks over return to Russia

Chelsea defender in talks over return to Russia

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is in talks with Zenit St Petersburg over a possible return to Russia. The Daily Mail reports that the 32-year-old Serbian, who has been at Stamford Bridge since making a switch from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008, will depart on a free-transfer having only six-months left on his current deal in West London.

Since the arrival of Italian coach Antonio Conte, Ivanovic has found game time hard to come by and since the new boss switched to three at the back; he’s now a firm fixture on the substitute’s bench. The journal understands that the deal should be completed over the weekend and that the Serb will snub the chance to stay in the Premier League by turning down offers from Everton, Leicester City and West Ham United.
 
In a recent interview, Ivanovic spoke about his lack of first-team action, explaining that; ““I will always put myself below the interests of the team, be that national side or club. When the team is successful and when they win, it's quickly forgotten when you make mistakes. It's been a while since I was a backup, but I do not mind. I'll sit on the bench whenever the coach decides, and not for the first time in these eight years at Chelsea.”