Report: Chelsea 'confident' of signing Ivanovic to 1-year extension

Chelsea is growing "increasingly confident" of signing defender Branislav Ivanovic to a one-year extension, with the 31-year-old having the option for an additional season, reports Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph.

Ivanovic is set to become a free agent in the summer after almost a decade with Chelsea. Negotiations over a new deal had hit an impasse in recent months as Ivanovic sought a two-year contract.

The Blues have a policy in place that limits contract terms for players over the age of 30 to just a single year. But Wilson believes Chelsea has reached a compromise with Ivanovic by offering him the option to prolong his stay until 2018 if he makes a certain number of appearances with the club.

Ivanovic has endured a spotty 2015-16 campaign. One of the Premier League's top defenders during Chelsea's title-winning 2014-15 season, Ivanovic briefly lost his place in the starting XI after a poor run of form.