Chelsea set to sign veteran footballers Jordan Henderson, 36, and Danny Welbeck, 35, in surprise move

Chelsea is set to sign veteran footballers Jordan Henderson from Brentford and Danny Welbeck from Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

The pair, 36 and 35 years old respectively, have emerged as surprise candidates to bolster Xabi Alonso’s squad.

According to Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, an agreement on personal terms is almost done with both players.

England midfielder Henderson has a year left on his Brentford contract, but the Bees are willing to let him leave on a free transfer.

Ex-England striker Welbeck, 35, is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge and there is optimism from Chelsea’s side that a deal can be concluded.

The Blues are looking for experience because of an acceptance that their model of signing young players needs a “tweak” – according to influential owner Behdad Eghbali in April.

Welbeck scored a career-high 13 league goals in 37 games for Brighton last season, taking his tally to 51 goals in 201 matches since joining from Watford in 2020.

Welbeck signed a 12-month contract extension in March, with his current deal running until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Henderson made 34 appearances in all competitions for Brentford last season after joining from Ajax.

He 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.