Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Jordan Henderson on a free transfer, after Brentford allowed the 36-year-old to terminate his contract a year earlier than expected.
It comes two days after Chelsea secured the signature of Danny Welbeck, 35, from Brighton. Between them, Henderson and Welbeck add 863 Premier League games' worth of experience to a Chelsea dressing room now overseen by new manager Xabi Alonso, 44.
"Given the size of the club, the manager, who I have great admiration for, and the quality of the players, this was a huge opportunity I couldn't turn down," Henderson said. "I was also so impressed with how much the ownership want Chelsea to be successful and move in the right direction. For me, it's about giving everything every single day, both on and off the field, to help the players around me and the team as much as possible. I'm very excited to get going."
Alonso identified during his talks to take over Chelsea that the squad needed greater balance among the players. Chelsea had broken Premier League records for fielding the youngest sides over the previous two seasons, but had been criticised by fans on occasion for appearing to lack maturity on and off the pitch.
Missed targets Xhaka and Stones
Chelsea previously targeted Granit Xhaka, the 33-year-old Sunderland captain who had worked with Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but could not get him out of the Stadium of Light. They also showed interest in John Stones, who has since joined Inter Milan at 32.
Chelsea have now secured Henderson for free, while the fee for Welbeck is being described as undisclosed, though it is reportedly not substantial, if there is one at all.
Welbeck already in Hong Kong
Welbeck has already travelled to Hong Kong to join his new teammates. Brentford were reported last week to be ready to sanction Henderson's exit rather than seek a fee from Chelsea. Henderson is still recovering from the broken arm he suffered with England at the World Cup.
A shift in transfer strategy
The signings confirm that Chelsea have adjusted their transfer strategy to add experienced leaders to the squad, having previously focused on finding younger players of potential. Maxence Lacroix, 26, has already been confirmed by Chelsea from Crystal Palace for £52million, and Morgan Rogers has arrived from Aston Villa for £117million.
