Not for the first time this summer, it seems that a defender from Chelsea is being linked with an exit, as this time it’s Branislav Ivanovic, the Serbian centre back who can also play as a right back, is being linked with a move away to PSG.
According to the Mirror, Jose Mourinho is looking to replace one of his central defenders, with both Ivanovic and Luiz possibly on their way out. Ivanovic, unlike Luiz, can play on the wings as a defender as he has shown more than once over the last few years, which is something Paris Saint-Germain might find quite handy.
Gregory van der Wiel isn’t completely settled at the club, missing out on almost the final three months of the season, and didn’t display the most impressive of abilities during his debut season for the club after arriving from Ajax.
He’s only 25, which means one so-so season doesn’t mean it can’t get any better in the future, but Inter Milan have been showing their interest in the Dutch international, which means Saint-Germain might opt to sell him and bring in a player with Champions League experience (including a title in 2012) instead of someone less proven, and who hasn’t proven much when he’s had the chance.
Ivanovic scored the winning goal for Chelsea in their Europa League triumph against Benfica last season, but despite his attacking abilities, mostly shown in his aerial ability, he hasn’t been the most consistent of performers in the back line for Chelsea, especially when it comes to matches in which they don’t play in a mostly defensive approach.
However, his versatility and “clutch” ability, if you can refer to it as such, is definitely worth chasing. For Ivanovic himself Ligue 1 in general might be somewhat of downgrade, but he’ll earn more money playing for PSG, not to mention a club that should be in the top 8 in Europe once again, and aspiring for more, with possibly a better chance than Chelsea to achieve that.