Former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is now teammates with Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi after signing a one-year contract with West Bromwich Albion.
Ivanovic left Chelsea in February 2017 and has spent the last three-and-a-half years in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg.
The 36-year-old becomes Slaven Bilic’s sixth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira, Cedric Kipre, David Button and Callum Robinson.
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Speaking on his move to West Brom, Ivanonic told the club’s official website: “The Premier League is the best league in the world. I need to challenge myself and I am ready for the challenge. I am really happy to be back playing in the Premier League.
“I hope I am going to be successful here. I have a lot of ambition and I want to prove a lot of things. I will give everything for the team.”
West Brom boss Bilic added: “He’s a great addition for us, a team who are newly promoted in the Premier League. He ticks all the boxes for us.
“He’s done everything in his career – it’s been magnificent. We’re delighted. He adds quality and experience on the pitch and off the pitch.
“So it is not only him, it is him plus the influence he will have on not just defenders but the whole team around him. That’s why we targeted him as one of our prime targets. It’s a great signing for us.”
The Serbian defender spent nine years at Chelsea between 2008-2017, winning 10 major trophies which included the 2012 Champions League.
Ivanovic, who can play at right-back or centre-back, was a free agent after leaving Zenit following the conclusion of the Russian Premier League on July 22.
He would hope to help West Brom bounce back from their Premier League opening day defeat to Leicester after the Foxes ran out 3-0 winners.
1 Comment
Good news for Ajayi. Watching him toil so hard against Leicester on Sunday only for his Center Back pair(Bartley) making unbearable mistakes, passes with one of his mistakes giving Jamie Vardy a penalty. I suggested they needed to do more in there signings and am happy seeing this. Now they need a reliable Striker. Robson Kanu and Callum are utter joke up there. Also, they need to sign a Good Center Midfielder and they can be confident going forward this season.