Branislav Ivanovic has signed a new one-year contract with Chelsea to extend his stay with the Premier League champions until summer 2017.
The 31-year-old's Stamford Bridge future had been in question with his previous deal set to end this summer and the defender enduring a difficult start to the 2015-16 campaign, though sources told ESPN FC on Wednesday that the Serbian had agreed a new deal.
.@ChelseaFC is delighted to announce Branislav Ivanovic has signed a new one-year contract: https://t.co/iKvX11Xh3I pic.twitter.com/OQ43UHvr5u
- Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 22, 2016
The defender signed his new contact on Friday afternoon, with a statement on the club's official website reading: "Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce Branislav Ivanovic has signed a new one-year contract.
"The defender, 31, was made vice-captain at the beginning of this season, and his new deal will now extend his stay to the summer of 2017.
"Since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January 2008, Ivanovic has won every major club honour, including the Champions League and two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup, as well as heading the winner in the 2013 Europa League final.
"Ivanovic made his debut in September 2008, famously scoring his first goals away at Liverpool in the Champions League quarterfinal the same season. In total he has made 341 appearances, finding the net 32 times."
Sources had told ESPN FC that Ivanovic was initially holding out for a longer deal from Chelsea, but the Serbian came to a compromise to accept a 12-month extension, with Chelsea sticking to their policy of only offering one-year deals to players aged 30 and above.
Ivanovic said: "I am very happy to stay with Chelsea for another season. 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."
Guus Hiddink said of Ivanovic: "He's important. He's one of the main characters now in the team. He has developed himself as one of the leading [personalities]. I knew him as well from my spell in Russia when he was a central defender at [Lokomotiv] Moscow.
"He went to Chelsea and has become one of the key members of the first team and also the squad. I think he is back to where he once was [in terms of form]."
ESPN FC's Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey contributed to this report.