Barcelona eyeing shock swoop for former Chelsea star
Spanish heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly planning a surprise winter approach for Zenit St Petersburg defender Branislav Ivanovic as they seek to overcome the concerns at the heart of the defence. The Catalan giants have managed to recover of late with Samuel Umtiti returning from a lengthy knee injury but there remains the lack of depth with Thomas Vermaelen still on the sidelines.
Amidst this, the Spanish champions have been linked with several high-profile players to fill the void but according to Goal.com, Ivanovic has been highlighted as a cut-price to fulfil the role. The former Serbia international presently has only eight months remaining on his existing deal with Zenit but the club are likely to exercise the option of a one-year extension.