Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Danny Welbeck and are closing in on the 35-year-old Brighton striker, according to Fabrizio Romano, Sky Sports and David Ornstein. It’s a surprise move for a club that spent the summer building around youth.
The England forward is set to sign a contract until 2028, and Brighton have granted permission for a medical in London — so the deal is in its final stages, though the fee between the clubs has not yet been officially confirmed (around €7m has been suggested unofficially; Welbeck had a year left at the Amex).
The driving force is Chelsea’s new manager, Xabi Alonso, who wants to add Premier League experience to a very young squad. Welbeck spent six seasons at Brighton and became the club’s all-time leading Premier League scorer — last season he found the net 13 times in 37 of 38 league games, after 10 the year before. The England international is expected to join his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Asia next week.
It’s another move in a busy Chelsea window, after the high-profile signings of Rogers and Lacroix. Some reports suggest the Blues could add a second experienced name in Jordan Henderson.