Chelsea are closing in on a double swoop for Brentford’s Jordan Henderson and Brighton’s Danny Welbeck, as the club pivots towards experience after years of signing young talent. The 36-year-old England midfielder has a year left on his contract but the Bees are willing to let him leave on a free transfer, while Welbeck, 35, is understood to be keen on moving to Stamford Bridge with optimism from Chelsea’s side that a deal can be concluded.
The pursuit marks a “tweak” in strategy acknowledged by influential owner Behdad Eghbali in April, reflecting an acceptance that the club’s model of signing young players needs adjustment. Welbeck, who scored a career-high 13 league goals in 37 games last season, signed a 12-month extension in March running until 2027. Henderson made 34 appearances for Brentford after joining from Ajax, and made one substitute appearance for England at the World Cup before breaking his arm falling over advertising hoardings while celebrating their last-16 win over Mexico.
“Chelsea open talks for Henderson and Welbeck, and set to sign Dragoni from Barcelona.”
Meanwhile, the Chelsea women’s side is set to bolster its attack with Italy midfielder Giulia Dragoni from Barcelona. The 19-year-old, who spent the last two seasons on loan at Roma, has already made 24 appearances for Italy since her debut aged 16 and has Champions League experience with Roma. She joined Barcelona in 2023 from Inter Milan’s youth academy. Chelsea have tracked her for several years, attracted by her versatility across multiple attacking positions and midfield. Dragoni is set to become the club’s fourth summer signing as they target regaining the Women’s Super League title after Manchester City’s success last season.
Chelsea have already signed attacker Morgan Rogers for a club record £117m, full-back Marco Palestra, and are close to a £52m move for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix. But the futures of several forwards remain uncertain. Joao Pedro is regarded as the first-choice option, while Liam Delap – keen to establish himself under new manager Xabi Alonso after a £30m move from Ipswich – is increasingly expected to depart. Nicolas Jackson has returned from a loan at Bayern Munich and is open to leaving amid interest from Aston Villa. Marc Guiu is understood to be available for a transfer or loan, valued at about £25m. Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, who recently joined from Strasbourg, is expected to stay.