Chelsea signs Welbeck
English football club Chelsea signed veteran striker Danny Welbeck from fellow Premier League side Brighton on Saturday in a deal reported to be worth around £5 million ($6.7 million).
Welbeck signed a two-year contract with the Blues and will join his new team, managed by Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, during their pre-season tour.
The 35-year-old’s move to Stamford Bridge marks a departure from Chelsea’s usual strategy of signing young players who can be developed into stars or sold later for a profit.
This is the first time Chelsea has signed a player over the age of 26 since acquiring Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Spanish club Barcelona in 2022, when he was 33 years old.
"When you hear interest from Chelsea, it makes you feel immense pride. When you know Chelsea’s history, you realize it is a club that wants to win trophies and strives to achieve that every season," Welbeck said.
He added, "It is a great honor to join a club of this size at what seems like a very exciting time. I already know some of the players, had great conversations with the manager, and I already feel a strong connection."
He continued, "I still have great enthusiasm, and I am ready to give everything I have for this club to make everyone at Chelsea, as well as the fans, feel proud."
Chelsea’s new manager, Alonso, was keen to add more experience to his squad after a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Welbeck, who has earned 42 caps for the England national team, scored 13 goals in 37 Premier League matches last season, having netted 10 goals in the 2024-2025 campaign.
Welbeck’s arrival in west London is expected to raise questions about the future of Chelsea striker Liam Delap, who had a disappointing season after joining from Ipswich Town, as well as his fellow forwards, Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson and Spanish striker Marc Guiu.
Welbeck is the latest player to move from Brighton to Chelsea in recent years, following Brazilian Joao Pedro, Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo, and Spaniards Robert Sanchez and Marc Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid earlier this summer.
Chelsea paid £117 million to sign 24-year-old striker Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa in July, a record British transfer fee.
The club also signed 26-year-old French defender Maxence Lacroix from neighbors Crystal Palace for £52 million earlier this week, and added 21-year-old Italian defender Marco Palumbo from Atalanta for £43 million.
Reports had also linked Chelsea with a move for veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson, 36, from Brentford.
Welbeck spent six years at Brighton after joining from Watford in 2020, scoring 51 goals and providing 18 assists, making him the club’s all-time top scorer in the Premier League.
