Branislav Ivanovic appears to have lost his place in Chelsea’s first-team plans as a consequence of manager Antonio Conte switching to a 3-4-3 formation.
The Serbian international started 107 Premier League games in the last three full seasons, but he has only received five minutes of game time in Chelsea last five matches in all competitions.
Ivanovic has spent the majority of his Stamford Bridge career as a right-back, but Conte’s new system uses wing-backs rather than full-backs and the 32-year-old is simply not dynamic enough to adjust.
With his contract set to expire next summer, Ivanovic is being linked with a whole host of clubs.
According to The Mirror, Crystal Palace are targeting the defender – as are a variety of teams in Europe and the Far East.
Palace did some transfer business with Chelsea back in August when Loic Remy was loaned to Selhurst Park.
Remy has yet to play for Palace, though, having picked up a nasty injury early in his Eagles career.