Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has had his say on defenderBranislav Ivanovic, who has been linked with a move to China, Leicester, West Brom and Crystal Palace today. Could he be nearing an exit?

“I think in this situation it is important to evaluate a lot of things,” Conte said. “Because in this season he is not playing a lot with us and I know that when you have been playing a lot and then you are not playing regularly, it is not easy to accept this decision. But Ivan knows the situation and I am pleased if he stays with us.

“But in this situation, the player must make the best decision for him and his family and I am ready to accept any decision he makes because Ivan deserves great respect for his career at Chelsea as he played a lot of games for Chelsea, he won a lot with this team and we have to respect his decision.”