Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano shared updates on multiple clubs and players during his latest video podcast.
On Chelsea
Chelsea are negotiating to sign Jordan Henderson, and the deal could be announced with a "Here we go" imminently.
Chelsea have been hoping to recruit an experienced midfielder for some time. They previously made an active push to sign Granit Xhaka, but Sunderland ultimately decided not to sell, so the transfer fell through.
Now, Chelsea are advancing talks to sign 36-year-old Jordan Henderson on a free transfer. The former Liverpool captain is highly eager to join Chelsea and ready to rediscover his top form at Stamford Bridge.
The player is close to agreeing personal terms. Brentford are negotiating to terminate Henderson’s contract, and he is expected to depart as a free agent.
Chelsea currently lead the race for his signature, while two other Premier League clubs have also registered interest in the player, whose career has spanned spells with Liverpool, Ajax and Al-Ettifaq. Henderson was also named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the recent FIFA World Cup this summer.
As such, Henderson could become an unexpected midfield addition for Chelsea. It is a completely unforeseen transfer, and I expect negotiations to gather pace over the coming days.
Moving on to Danny Welbeck. We turn from 36-year-old Jordan Henderson to 35-year-old Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea are also close to reaching an agreement with Welbeck over personal terms. Both players are represented by the same agency.
Chelsea signed young talent Harrison Bettoni a few weeks ago, the academy recruit I previously reported. Now the club are also exploring the possibility of landing Welbeck.
Progress is being made on this deal, yet Chelsea still need to negotiate and reach an agreement with Brighton, as Welbeck remains under contract and is clearly an important player for the Seagulls. Discussions between the two sides have already opened.
It is striking to consider that Chelsea could sign one 35-year-old and one 36-year-old player within just a few days. This would have been almost unthinkable before Xabi Alonso’s arrival, as Chelsea had followed a completely different recruitment strategy previously.
But the club appointed Xabi Alonso and resolved to trust their head coach, building the squad in line with his vision.
Of course, this does not mean Chelsea will only target experienced players. Signing young talent remains part of the club’s strategy, and they have already brought in proven performers such as Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix.
Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck have now emerged as new targets for Chelsea.
