Chelsea are exploring a deal to sign former Manchester United star Danny Welbeck, with the experienced forward open to a switch to Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
Chelsea make their move
Having left Old Trafford in 2014 to join rivals Arsenal, Welbeck has aged like a fine wine on the south coast since signing for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2020 on a free transfer.
After turning 35 towards the start of last season, the Manchester native is arguably playing the best football of his career, returning 13 goals in the Premier League as the Seagulls qualified for the Europa League for only the second time in their 122-year history.
Welbeck is considered an influential figure in Fabian Hurzeler’s dressing room, with the German tactician two years younger than his No.18. He is a standard setter for his younger teammates – and this leadership off the pitch is considered as important as his contributions on it.
With Chelsea having struggled with their attitude and discipline under both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last season, the Blues are moving away from their recruitment model of exclusively targeting youngsters yet to enter their prime.
The failed pursuit to reunite new manager Xabi Alonso with Sunderland’s 33-year-old captain, Granit Xhaka, is a testament to this shift – as is the surprise pursuit of Welbeck, as revealed by Keiran Gill (Daily Mail).
This has been corroborated by transfer experts Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein, with the Athletic writer claiming there is “optimism on all sides that a deal could be done.” Romano states Alonso has “approved” Welbeck as a target, and negotiations are ongoing.
Should United hijack the move?
One interesting part of Ornstein’s report is the reference to Manchester United’s interest in re-signing Welbeck, first in 2024 under Erik ten Hag and then again last summer with Ruben Amorim in charge.
The same attributes which have led Chelsea to make their move – experience, personality, versatility and a track record of goals in the Premier League – are exactly what United are crying out for as well.
The £74 million capture of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig has proven a wise piece of business, given the 6’5″ Slovenian juggernaut only turned 23 in May and has so much more potential to develop.
By contrast, the decision to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5 million in 2024 has proven one of INEOS’s poorest calls. The 25-year-old is neither clinical nor creative, making him an incapable deputy to Sesko.
Final Thoughts
With Welbeck having only signed a one-year contract at the Amex Stadium in March, the fee required to sign him from Brighton will be cheap. He has extensive experience at the elite level of Premier League football, having played for both Manchester United and Arsenal, and would serve as the perfect mentor to Sesko.
If Zirkzee is to depart this summer, it would almost certainly be on loan as the market for the Dutchman is limited to clubs in Serie A. There will not be significant funds to replace him, making a cut-price move to re-sign Welbeck the perfect option. It would also bring an end to his ruthless record when playing his former side.
Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is an editor for The Peoples Person who spent three years learning about the Cold War at the University of Sheffield slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about. Amad’s first touch should be officially recognised as the eighth wonder of the world.
