Chelsea have completed the signing of experienced Brighton forward Danny Welbeck for a reported fee of £5m. The striker has accepted a two-year deal and will join Xabi Alonso’s team for their pre-season tour.
Bringing the 35-year-old to Stamford Bridge marks a departure from Chelsea’s usual approach of recruiting younger talent with room to improve. Welbeck is the first player older than 26 for whom the club have paid a transfer fee since the arrival of 33-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona in 2022.
Welbeck said that learning of Chelsea’s interest gave him a tremendous sense of pride. He added that the club’s rich history and continued ambition to compete for trophies made the opportunity particularly appealing.
The forward said he was delighted to join such a prestigious club during an exciting period. Having already spoken positively with the manager and knowing several members of the squad, he feels an immediate connection and is determined to give his all for the team and its supporters.
After Chelsea’s disappointing 10th-place Premier League finish last season, Alonso wanted to introduce more experience into the squad. He selected Welbeck following an impressive campaign for the former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker at Brighton.
Welbeck, who has represented England 42 times, registered 13 goals across 37 Premier League appearances last season, having scored 10 during the 2024-25 campaign.
His move to west London could create uncertainty over the roles of Liam Delap, who arrived from Ipswich last season, and fellow Chelsea forwards Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.
Welbeck continues the recent flow of players from Brighton to Chelsea, following João Pedro, Moisés Caicedo, Robert Sánchez and Marc Cucurella, who transferred to Real Madrid earlier this summer.
Chelsea also paid a British-record £117m for 24-year-old England forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa in July. Earlier this week, they added France defender Maxence Lacroix, 26, from Crystal Palace for £52m and recruited 21-year-old Atalanta defender Marco Palestra for £43m.
Brentford complete record move for Sangaré
Brentford have recruited Mali international Mamadou Sangaré from Lens for a reported club-record sum of £39m. The 24-year-old has signed a five-year agreement that includes an option for an additional season.
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews said the club had monitored Sangaré for a considerable period and had been eager to sign him. He described the midfielder as humble, highly motivated and an ideal match for the qualities Brentford value both on and off the field.
Sangaré moved from Rapid Vienna in Austria to Lens last year. He played an important role as the French side lifted the French Cup for the first time and secured second place in Ligue 1.
Bournemouth have confirmed the arrival of António Silva from Benfica in a transfer reportedly worth about £25m. The 22-year-old defender is new head coach Marco Rose’s second summer addition, following Álvaro Rodríguez’s move earlier this week.
Silva recorded 235 first-team appearances for Benfica and won six major trophies during his career in Portugal. Speaking to Bournemouth’s website, he expressed his delight at joining the club and said he was excited by the chance to compete in the Premier League.
The defender said his priority is always to win and promised to give maximum effort for the supporters. He also praised the facilities available to help the players perform and said he was eager to begin.
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