In a summer expected to be full of glamorous transfers, Chelsea have taken the somewhat surprising decision to target a couple of Premier League veterans. Indeed, Xabi Alonso appears keen on Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.
Henderson won it all with Liverpool as captain under Jurgen Klopp before leaving in 2023, and spent last season with Brentford after spells at Al-Ettifaq and Ajax. Now 36, the Bees have confirmed his exit by mutual agreement, with the Champions League-winning midfielder expected to be unveiled at Stamford Bridge soon.
Welbeck is another experienced Englishman, and having spent time at Manchester United and Arsenal in his younger days, he’s been at Brighton since 2020. The 35-year-old scored 13 league goals last term, the best tally of his career. Chelsea are said to have now swooped in and agreed a deal with the Seagulls over his transfer.
With a combined age of 71, it’s not the sort of double deal you see often. With that in mind, pundit Gary Neville has offered his thoughts on the pair who both played for Sunderland as youngsters.
Neville Speaks Out on Henderson and Welbeck at Chelsea
“It’s a big shift. It’s one we’ve all been asking for. If you’ve watched Chelsea over the last three, four or five years, I’ve said there’s inexperience right throughout the club, right from the ownership to the sporting department to the managers.
“So what you’ve got is a situation whereby there’s just no experience. I think by putting a spine in of good senior professionals that act as guardians of good behaviours, responsibilities, disciplines in the dressing room, it’s not magic, it’s something that all top teams have had for many, many decades.
“So putting in Jordan Henderson, who knows how to win a Premier League title, Danny Welbeck, who knows how to win a Premier League title… their job is as much off the pitch as it is on the pitch. “
“They’re still good players, they can contribute maybe 25 to 35 games a season at a good level. But what they will do is all those young players there at Chelsea, they will make sure they turn up every single day, give their all, come back the same the next day and do it again.”
Chelsea Have Lacked Leadership in Recent Seasons
Neville spoke about how Chelsea have targeted youth in the past, but have perhaps been hurt as more experienced members of the dressing room have left. He noted:
“That’s been a problem. I don’t think the young players at Chelsea have had any particular guidance or leadership around them either on the pitch or off the pitch. They’ve now got people around them who can do that and know how to get around the block.”
The likes of Jorginho and Thiago Silva were key characters in the dressing room who were never really replaced at Stamford Bridge, which may explain why they have finished 12th, 6th, 4th, and 10th in the last four Premier League seasons.
While Welbeck and Henderson won’t be expected to deliver spectacular individual performances on the pitch, they might just offer enough to bring the best out of their teammates.
Tottenham Hotspur have made Savinho their top transfer target to bolster their attack, but he’s not the only one they want to sign, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Spurs have had an incredible summer transfer window already, bringing in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali following two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, and manager Roberto De Zerbi has already declared that he wants new forwards before the season begins.
“In a separate story [to Savinho], because I expect Tottenham to sign two players, I would still keep an eye on Tottenham and Cody Gakpo, because he’s another player they like,” he said.
“So let’s see what is going to happen there, if Liverpool are going to open doors or not, but for sure, there will be many movements for wingers at Tottenham.”
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Tottenham Going Big This Summer
REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Tottenham have already had a very busy window, but the fact that everyone knows there is more to come shows that the owners and manager are being very ambitious about their plans for the upcoming campaign.
In attack they are currently light. Richarlison’s future is up in the air, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are recovering from serious knee injuries, and Dejan Kulusevski hasn’t played since the 2024/25 season due to a mysterious knee problem of his own. Add to that the fact Randal Kolo Muani has left, and it’s clear they need more than just one signing.
Gakpo would arrive as someone with experience at the very highest level, including in the Premier League, and could prove to be a shrewd bit of busines if they can get it over the line.
Leeds United’s move to sign Germany international Julian Brandt is in jeopardy after Real Sociedad entered the race, according to TEAMtalk.
The Whites have had an excellent summer transfer window so far, despite losing key defender Pascal Struijk, as they brought in Harry Wilson from Fulham on a free transfer, Tarik Muharemovic in a £34m deal from Sassuolo, and agreed a club-record £40m+ deal to sign new goalkeeper James Trafford.
But the club are still looking to add more firepower to Daniel Farke’s squad for the upcoming campaign as they look to move away from relegation battles, and they had been in the driver’s seat for a major coup until recently.
However, Leeds are now fearing the worst after La Liga giants Real Sociedad entered the race and made a ‘compelling’ pitch to convince him to join them instead.
Sociedad have offered the ‘special’ player a regular place in their starting lineup, and are hoping that the fact they will be playing European football in the 2026/27 season could be enough to tempt him to choose them over Leeds.
It’s understood that the decision for the 48-cap international is essentially a straight shootout between Leeds and Sociedad at this stage, and Leeds hope that his preference for the Premier League will be enough to win the battle. They also believe their strong German contingent, which includes the manager and his staff, and midfielder Anton Stach, could help.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Leeds Signing Brandt a Huge Coup
via Reuters
Leeds managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League with a few games to spare last season, but it didn’t always look very comfortable for them, and they know that they need to strengthen to avoid another battle.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a fine maiden campaign at Elland Road following his free transfer move from Everton, and pairing him with Brandt’s brilliant passing ability and quality in the final third could be a great way of unlocking another level from the striker.
Bringing in a player who has played regularly at the highest level in recent years would be a huge coup for a club that was playing in the Championship 18 months ago, and the 49ers must do everything they can to secure the deal ahead of Real Sociedad.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Argentina’s football association and several of its players following a string of alleged breaches at the World Cup.
Among them is the unveiling of a banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentine), brandished by players after their late 2-1 comeback in the semi-final over England in Atlanta.
FIFA said using a sporting event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature could breach its disciplinary code. Other alleged breaches include discriminatory chants and gestures, late kick-offs, security failures, and objects thrown by fans across multiple matches.
Separate proceedings have also been opened following the melee that ensued after the final. Former PSG and Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes shoved Spain’s Gavi to the ground amid full-time scenes in New Jersey, and now faces three counts of assault, with Atletico Madrid right-back Nahuel Molina facing two.
