According to The Athletic, Chelsea are turning to experienced signings, with Jordan Henderson and Welbeck close to joining. The club is signing these two veterans to strengthen team discipline, after suffering a painful 2-8 aggregate loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last season.
The report states that for the past few years, the Blues, under BlueCo, have operated around potential and talent. Players signed are often young, unproven, yet full of imaginative potential, and often new to the Premier League. Examples include Estevao, who signed with Brazilian Palmeiras in advance and officially joined last summer after turning 18, Ajax defender Hato, and Belgian Genk goalkeeper Penders, both of whom are only 20 years old.
Of course, Chelsea have also made more mature, proven Premier League signings, such as Cucurella and Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion, and Pedro Neto from Wolves, but the overall strategy remains to bet on massive future upside.
Henderson's rumored short-term move from London neighbors Brentford does not fit this philosophy.
At 36, Henderson is the most capped active Premier League player. If he joins, he will become Chelsea's oldest new signing since 38-year-old goalkeeper Rob Green in 2018. Green joined from Huddersfield Town that year but never played a competitive game for Chelsea. In contrast, Thiago Silva, who joined on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain at 35, is the closest on-field player comparison for Chelsea in recent years.
However, The Athletic reported on Monday that Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign Henderson and are also pursuing a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Welbeck, who will turn 36 in November. The Athletic also previously revealed that Chelsea were interested in veteran Stones. Stones left Manchester City on a free transfer last month, but Inter Milan are currently in negotiations with him.
At the end of last season, after Chelsea's spring collapse and the dismissal of interim coach Liam Rosenior, reports from Stamford Bridge indicated that the club was ready to change direction. They would learn from their mistakes and bring in more mature, immediate impact players. Some fans might have been skeptical at the time, but if these two deals are finalized, it can at least be said that Chelsea are no longer adhering to their old ways.
Any rebuilding must proceed cautiously.
The reasons for Chelsea's need for change are clear. Last season they appeared too fragile, often fumbling and dropping points in situations they should have controlled, and their discipline was not good enough.
Cucurella later moved to Real Madrid for €60 million (£51.3 million; $68.2 million at the time). He told The Athletic in March that Chelsea "paid the price" when they were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League due to inexperience. In the first leg of that knockout tie, Chelsea were tied 2-2 on aggregate after 70 minutes, with the second leg at Stamford Bridge, ultimately losing 2-8 on aggregate.
After that defeat, Rosenior reiterated in a press conference that the team needed to bring in "emotionally stable" players and those who "know how to win in difficult moments."
From this perspective, Chelsea's turn to Henderson is not difficult to understand.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews called Henderson "one of the most influential leaders of the modern Premier League era" and someone who "raises standards" when he joined last year. England manager Tuchel has also praised his leadership, and players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham expressed similar sentiments during the recent World Cup.
Almost everyone recognizes Henderson's influence in the dressing room. Chelsea looked to lack motivation and direction in the second half of last season, which is exactly what the team needs most. Leadership is also one of the key reasons Welbeck attracted new manager Xabi Alonso.
For many observers, it was clear by the end of last season that Chelsea needed to rebuild in terms of standards and mentality. However, the team's on-field tactics also need adjustment, which is why this wave of experience-based signings must proceed cautiously.
Henderson and Welbeck would certainly disagree with the notion that they are only being considered by Chelsea because of their experience.
In the past two years, Welbeck has had his two highest-scoring seasons in 18 Premier League seasons. Chelsea are also well aware of the threat he poses against them.
Henderson played 32 Premier League games for Brentford last season, starting 22 times. He is a consistent contributor and should be able to help Chelsea control some of the games they often lost control of in the past. However, this is assuming he first recovers from that fracture. That injury occurred during England's World Cup celebrations after beating Mexico, when he fell while jumping over an advertising board, breaking his arm; the match was held at their high-altitude Azteca Stadium.
The fact that these two players have been able to establish themselves in the Premier League for a long time speaks to their ability. However, their age means they are not long-term solutions. Chelsea have no European competitions this season, and Alonso must seriously consider how to allocate their roles in the squad.
Henderson might accept limited playing time for England this summer, but he is used to a heavy workload at Brentford. Welbeck also only missed 1 league game for Brighton & Hove Albion last season, starting 26 times.
At Chelsea, Henderson could compete with Caicedo for one of the two defensive midfield spots, and if Rieß-James continues to be deployed in midfield, he would also be a contender. Lavia, Essugo, and even Enzo Fernández might be included in this competition after Morgan Rogers joined the forward line. For Welbeck, Chelsea already have his former Brighton & Hove Albion teammate João Pedro, plus Draup, Jackson, new signings Emeka and Guiu, so there are already many players in the forward position.
And with Chelsea's virtually fixed number of games this season, playing time will clearly be scarce.
Some of the aforementioned players will inevitably leave. Chelsea were already considering reducing the number of central forwards before the news of Welbeck broke. However, given the age of Henderson and Welbeck, if they do join, Chelsea must avoid blocking the upward path of young players. A year ago, such a reminder would have sounded almost laughable.
But both of them are clearly aware that any club that signs them must already be thinking about life without them.
If they are both willing to accept more limited roles under Alonso, this would be a truly positive sign. This arrangement could bring healthier competition to the dressing room, set an example for Chelsea's young players, and provide the team with an additional, more seasoned solution in difficult situations. The lack of this quality may be why some key matches last season did not have different outcomes.
It should also be noted that Chelsea are not making only these few signings.
In addition to valuing Henderson's stability, Chelsea are also investing heavily in Rogers' dynamism. The club is finalizing a deal for Crystal Palace center-back Lacroix, a player who is in his prime, not nearing the end of his career. Right-back Marco Palumbo from Atalanta, Italy, has already joined on a seven-year contract.
The shift in this transfer philosophy is significant, and the money spent is equally astonishing. Henderson joining on a free transfer is clearly a positive factor for Chelsea, who are subject to UEFA's financial fair play rules, and should not be overlooked.
Chelsea have never been half-hearted in implementing a youth-centered model. It turns out that they are equally committed to this shift towards experience.
This is a significant shift. It is hoped that when the dust settles on this unusually busy transfer window in West London, Alonso will have enough support to restore balance to the Stamford Bridge squad.
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