Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Danny Welbeck from Brighton and Hove Albion, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Chelsea have generally focused on signing young players since the BlueCo takeover of Chelsea in 2023.
In their recent 6-4 preseason win over Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers, 28-year-old Tosin Adarabioyo was the oldest starting player on the pitch, with the second oldest, Liam Delap, five years younger than the former Fulham man.
Bar Dario Essugo (21) and Josh Acheampong (20), every other starting player was a teenager, and at least three 16-year-olds featured in the game.
While they performed well, there remained a clear need for experience, as they couldn’t quite match Sidney Wanderers physically.
This also translates to Chelsea’s story last season, where they covered the second-fewest distance in the league and always looked second best in duels.
As such, the club are now looking to add more experienced players across the pitch, with 26-year-old Maxence Lacroix already signed for the defence.
In attack, Chelsea have been plotting a surprise swoop for Brighton’s Welbeck in recent days, and a deal now appears to be agreed upon.
This is according to Fabrizio Romano, who claims that Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Welbeck from Brighton.
Welbeck to Chelsea
The transfer expert adds that the Seagulls have formally approved the 35-year-old centre-forward’s departure following his request to join the Blues.
The 6ft 1in England international has already agreed personal terms on a two-year contract with the London giants and is now scheduled to undergo his medicals with the club, Romano adds.
Chelsea fielded the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League last season, with an average age of just 24 years and 194 days, and their lack of experience ultimately proved costly as they finished 10th.
The Blues were also the most ill-disciplined side, collecting eight red cards along with 88 yellow cards, highlighting a recurring lack of composure and maturity.
Those problems have only been compounded by the exit of the experienced Marc Cucurella, along with growing speculation that vice-captain Enzo Fernández could also depart this summer.
Having made 400 appearances in the Premier League, Alonso will be counting on Welbeck not just to provide quality competition to Joao Pedro upfront, but also to bring strong, vocal leadership and experience to the Blues’ young squad both in the dressing room and on the pitch.
