Chelsea have agreed an undisclosed fee with Brighton for Danny Welbeck.
The 35-year-old has been given permission to undergo a medical in the next 24 hours ahead of his imminent move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have turned to Welbeck as they look to add experience to manager Xabi Alonso’s squad.
The last time the west London club paid a transfer fee for a player over the age of 26 was four years ago, when they signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona.
Welbeck is set for a medical ahead of a move to Chelsea
It has been two years since Chelsea selected a player over the age of 30 in any game.
Sky Sports News reported earlier this week that initial positive talks had been held regarding a move for Welbeck who has one-year left on his contract at Brighton.
Welbeck has continued to be a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League at 35 years old. Last season he scored 13 times, after scoring 10 in the previous campaign.
His potential arrival would be another example of Chelsea prioritising physically imposing players with Premier League experience this summer.
They have already signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m – a record fee for a British player – and are close to bringing in Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
It would also place further doubt on the futures of strikers Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.
Chelsea have signed several players from Brighton in recent seasons including their main striker Joao Pedro, plus Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez.
A number of Brighton staff members have also moved to Stamford Bridge over the past four years, including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell.
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Neville backs Chelsea decision to sign PL experience
Gary Neville has said signing players like Welbeck and Jordan Henderson is exactly what Chelsea’s young players need in order to gain more guidance.
The former Premier League-winning captain insists the decision to bring the veterans in is not a “magical” one, but rather an example of what all top teams need to compete.
“If you watched Chelsea for the last three, four or five years you’d say there’s inexperience right throughout the football club,” he said.
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“I think putting a spine in of good, senior professionals who act as guardians of good behaviour, responsibility and discipline in the dressing room is something that’s not magic. It’s something all top teams have had for many decades.
“Putting in Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck who know how to win Premier League titles, their jobs will be as much off the pitch as it will be on it. They’re still good players who can contribute 25-35 games a season, but they will make sure the young players turn up every single day and give their all.
“I didn’t think the young players at Chelsea have any real leadership or guidance on and off the pitch. They’ve now got people who can do that.”
BlueCo’s drastic change in transfer policy
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:
The BlueCo era at Chelsea has been defined by hoarding some of the best young talent on the planet and developing them in-house. That method has had some successes, but overall, it has not panned out.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the last player over the age of 26 who Chelsea paid a transfer fee for
There is clearly some recognition and accountability from the top brass about that. In bringing in Alonso as manager, they know they have lucked out in getting one of the most highly-sought-after tacticians in the game. The Spaniard has clearly identified the need for experience and the club are following his lead.
The interest in Granit Xhaka earlier in the summer was among the first signs of the shift. Even making a move for Lacroix is evidence of a change in approach.
The Welbeck move is surprising, but there is some logic that can be applied to it. Is he going to start every week? No. However, Chelsea’s four senior strikers have an average age of just 23. Combined, they have made 269 Premier League appearances and scored 74 goals.
Thiago Silva was the last player over the age of 30 to play for Chelsea
The Brighton veteran has 400 appearances and 90 goals on his own. To have that as your back-up to the young guns you want to develop makes sense.
Henderson? That’s a complete 180 degree turn. Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are two of the more experienced players Alonso has. If you had to pick anywhere Chelsea needed a wise head, you would not say midfield.
Yet, they wanted Xhaka. They now want Henderson. Alonso may have been the man to oversee the blossoming of players like Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen. However, he clearly sees the values of opposite characters and knows Chelsea, and perhaps more importantly, he needs people ready now.
Chelsea’s key summer business so far
In
Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa, £117m
Geovany Quenda – Sporting, £43.5m
Marco Palestra – Atalanta, £43m
Denner – Corinthians, £8.7m
Dastan Satpaev – Kairat Almaty, £2.1m
Emmanuel Emegha – Strasbourg, undisclosed
Out
Alejandro Garnacho – Aston Villa, loan
Marc Cucurella – Real Madrid, £51.8m
Andrey Santos – Man Utd, £50m
Tyrique George – Everton, £24m
Jimmy-Jay Morgan – West Brom, £4m