Chelsea have opened talks with Brighton over a possible transfer for Danny Welbeck. It has emerged that talks have begun between the Blues and Seagulls with the aim of bringing the striker to Stamford Bridge in the new season.
Welbeck, 35 and in the second half of his career, turned back the clock at Brighton last season, scoring 14 goals and providing two assists in all competitions. As a result, the west London bosses have opened negotiations to bring him in ahead of the 2026/27 season, strengthening Xabi Alonso’s options at the top.
Joao Pedro scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in the Premier League last season, while Liam Delap only scored once despite appearing in 28 games, raising questions about his suitability and future at the club.
Signing Welbeck would certainly strengthen Chelsea’s attacking options, especially if Alonso can bring out his best form. Brighton declined to comment on the matter when contacted.
Chelsea may have experienced a slow start in the summer transfer window, but it now looks like Blues bosses are starting to get things moving.
They brought Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Giovanny Quenda, Emmanuel Emega, Denner and Dastan Satpayev to the club this summer, but most of those deals were completed before the summer.
Welbeck’s surprise swoop comes after the Londoners’ bid to sign Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka fell through last month with an £8m bid to inject experience into the squad in midfield.
Rodgers cost a huge £117m to join from Aston Villa. The attacker, who played at the World Cup with England, signed a contract until 2033 at Stamford Bridge and said: “I’m really excited. Chelsea is the biggest club in London for me and it’s the club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.”
“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve brought in and where the club is going. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.”
Alonso added: “We needed an important player in that position and I’m sure there aren’t many better options than Morgan Rodgers.”
“We need players who can make an impact almost instantly and we are confident that Morgan will not need much time to adapt to the club, the system and his teammates. The idea was to acquire top players and Morgan is one of them.”
