Branislav Ivanovic signs one-year extension with Chelsea

Photo credit: AFP.

Branislav Ivanovic has signed a one-year contract extension with Chelsea, the struggling Premier League champions announced Friday. The Serbia defender’s existing contract with the London club was set to expire in a few months, but the 31-year-old’s new deal is set to see him stay at Stamford Bridge until 2017.

His contract extension falls into line with Chelsea’s stated policy of offering only one-year deals to players aged 30 and over.

Ivanovic joined from Lokomotiv Moscow in January 2008 and has since won several honors with Chelsea, although he was suspended for the club’s victory in the 2012 Champions League final. He did though score the Blues’ winning goal in the 2013 Europa League final, one of 32 goals in his 341 career Chelsea appearances.

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“I am very happy to stay with Chelsea for another season,” Ivanovic told chelseafc.com. “After eight years here this is my home and there is no other place I would rather play football.

“I have enjoyed so much success since moving to the club and I am determined to help the team achieve more in the last months of this season and next year as well.”

This season has seen Chelsea suffer a shock slump that led saw manager Jose Mourinho sacked, with the club just four points above the relegation zone heading into Sunday’s league match away to leaders and London rivals Arsenal.