Chelsea signed Brighton’s veteran striker Danny Welbeck in a deal worth a reported £5m. Welbeck has agreed a two-year contract, and will link up with Xabi Alonso’s squad on their pre-season tour.
The 35-year-old’s move to Stamford Bridge is a break from Chelsea’s policy of signing younger players with the potential to be developed. It is the first time they have paid a transfer fee for a player over the age of 26 since they signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona in 2022 when the striker was 33.
Welbeck's appeal is rooted in reliability and movement. His 13 league goals for Brighton last season came from 12.5 expected goals, a steady return that reflects a striker who finishes at expectation and rarely wastes chances.
New Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has said in preseason that his side needs more "balance." However, Chelsea's other four senior strikers have an average age of just 23. The Brighton veteran has 400 appearances and 90 goals on his own.
Alonso and the club's sporting directors are targeting what sources describe as 'ready-made' players this summer, with Chelsea's failed bid for Granit Xhaka earlier this window an indication of the change in recruitment strategy.