The Independent

·29 July 2026

The Independent

·29 July 2026

Veteran striker Danny Welbeck is all set for a surprise switch to Chelsea, with the 35-year-old understood to have agreed terms with the London club and booked a medical at Stamford Bridge.

The former Arsenal and Manchester United forward, who produced the best season of his career last term with 13 Premier League goals in 37 appearances for Brighton, is expected to put pen to paper on a two-year contract.

After completing his medical, Welbeck will travel to Hong Kong to join his new team-mates for the second leg of their pre-season tour.

This unexpected signing points to a possible reshuffle in Chelsea’s attacking department, and it has also raised doubts over the futures of younger forwards Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson.

Delap, who endured a difficult debut season after his £30m move from Ipswich, now faces even more uncertainty after finishing behind Joao Pedro in the pecking order last season.

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Liam Delap is facing an uncertain future at Chelsea (Getty)

The Brazilian striker scored 15 league goals in 2025-26 and hit a nine-minute hat-trick in Tuesday’s 6-4 friendly victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.

At the same time, Jackson, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, has also drawn interest from Aston Villa.

Welbeck’s arrival represents a major shift from Chelsea’s recent transfer approach, which has mostly been centred on signing young, untested talent.

Under new manager Xabi Alonso, the club seems to be moving towards more established players, with Welbeck’s vast experience of more than 400 Premier League appearances standing as a clear example of this updated policy.

The move is happening despite Welbeck having signed a 12-month contract extension with Brighton in March.

Chelsea’s forward choices also include Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, signed from sister club Strasbourg, and 20-year-old Marc Guiu, who has had limited league involvement since his 2024 move from Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Chelsea also appear close to signing England midfielder Jordan Henderson from Brentford as they continue to prioritise adding more experience to the squad.

Former Liverpool captain Henderson turned 36 last month, and suffered a broken arm while celebrating England’s win over Mexico at the World Cup, but is nearing a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Chelsea had also been interested in Sunderland’s 33-year-old midfielder Granit Xhaka earlier this summer, but he now appears set to remain at the Stadium of Light.