Chelsea are finalising a two-year deal for Danny Welbeck, with the Brighton & Hove Albion striker set to undergo a medical before potentially joining his new club in Hong Kong.
Daily Mail Sport first reported Chelsea's interest in the 35-year-old three days ago. Jordan Henderson, 36 and currently at Brentford, is also a transfer target for Xabi Alonso's side.
Welbeck, who scored 13 Premier League goals last season, is in line to sign terms until 2028 at Stamford Bridge. If the move goes through, he will link up with his new teammates during their pre-season tour, which continues in Hong Kong before further stops in Malaysia and Indonesia. He had 12 months remaining on his contract at Brighton.
Alonso and his squad are currently in Sydney, Australia, for pre-season and will move on to Hong Kong this weekend after their next friendly against Tottenham. Chelsea have shifted their transfer approach this summer, targeting more experienced, ready-made players.
Alonso had originally targeted Granit Xhaka, 33, but Sunderland refused to sell their captain. Chelsea also considered signing John Stones, 32, as a free agent. Maxence Lacroix, 26, is close to joining from Crystal Palace for 52 million pounds, while Morgan Rogers, 24, has signed from Aston Villa for 117 million pounds.
Striker exits expected
Welbeck's arrival is expected to trigger other moves in Chelsea's striker department. Alonso currently has Liam Delap, Emmanuel Emegha, Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu and Joao Pedro at his disposal, with at least two, possibly three, expected to be sold or loaned out.
Joao Pedro is considered untouchable. He scored a nine-minute hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-4 friendly win over Western Sydney Wanderers, a game in which Delap struggled while mainly surrounded by academy players. When asked about Welbeck after that match, Alonso said: "No comment."
