Chelsea are reportedly working on a deal to sign veteran Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson, in another surprise move from Xabi Alonso’s side.
A few eyebrows were raised when Brentford secured the veteran’s services on a two-year deal last summer following his departure from Ajax.
A year ago, when the former Liverpool man was 35, Henderson stressed that he could still take his game to a new level, even though it looked like his best years were behind him.
He told the Bees’ website: “I try my best to pass on my experiences, especially to the younger players. But, at the same time, I still need to perform and do my job on the pitch.
“It’s a given that I’ll help everybody around me but, even at my age, you can still learn a lot, you can still improve, and you can still get better, which is what I want to do at this club.”
The 36-year-old went on to play 34 times for the west London outfit, scoring one goal along the way, as Keith Andrews’ team just missed out on European football for the first time.
Chelsea eye Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck
On Monday, TEAMtalk reported that Chelsea are pursuing a move for 35-year-old Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, who is into the last year of his Amex contract.
This move is particularly out of character for Chelsea owners BlueCo as for the vast majority of their reign, they have plucked for young, up-and-coming talent, rather than players at the end of their careers.
GO DEEPER : Barcelona: ‘Difficult’ Alvarez transfer prompts rethink with Chelsea and Bournemouth stars
Now, though, David Ornstein of The Athletic is reporting that Chelsea are doubling down on that strategy by trying to recruit Henderson, who suffered a broken wrist at this summer’s World Cup during England’s post-match celebrations in the wake of their 3-2 last-16 victory over Mexico.
The report adds that Chelsea are leading the race to sign Henderson, who is wanted by ‘multiple’ Premier League teams despite currently being out injured.
Brentford are ‘ready to grant Henderson a free transfer’, even though he still has just under 12 months left on his deal there.
Chelsea allowed midfielder Andrey Santos to join Manchester United in a deal worth up to £50m earlier this summer and after being so focused on young talent, the Blues are now eyeing wise old heads.
There were signs the Stamford Bridge team would go down this route after pursuing Sunderland captain and Swiss international midfielder Granit Xhaka, 33, but their interest was rebuffed.
Whether Alonso‘s side can sign these two veterans remains to be seen.
READ NEXT : Man City: Viana assesses record Enzo Fernandez bid as Real Madrid reach final decision on Chelsea star