Chelsea are currently the leading contenders to secure Jordon Henderson’s signature.
Chelsea are in the market for a new midfielder after allowing Andrey Santos to leave this summer, with the Brazilian joining Manchester United.
Having focused on recruiting younger players in recent seasons, Chelsea have explored the possibility of adding more experienced figures to their squad this summer.
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Reports have linked the Blues with a move for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck, 35, while they previously targeted Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, with an £8million bid for the 33-year-old rejected.
Chelsea have also registered interest in 32-year-old Manchester City defender John Stones as they look to add experience to their squad.
According to The Athletic. Xabi Alonso’s side are working on a deal to sign midfielder Jordan Henderson from Brentford.
The Stamford Bridge club are currently the leading contenders to secure the 36-year-old’s signature, with several Premier League sides also monitoring his situation.
Brentford are prepared to allow Henderson to leave on a free transfer, with the situation understood to be amicable between the England international and the club.
The former Liverpool midfielder has one year remaining on the contract he signed after joining Brentford as a free agent from Ajax last summer.
Henderson was part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer but suffered a broken left arm after slipping while climbing over an advertising board during his side’s victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, requiring surgery.
The midfielder made one substitute appearance in England’s final group-stage match and remained with the squad after his surgery as they were eliminated by Argentina in the semi-finals.
Jordan Henderson racked up 22 league starts for Brentford last season, while also making 10 appearances off the bench. Before joining the Bees, he played 57 matches for Ajax between 2023 and 2025.
The England international came through Sunderland’s academy before joining Liverpool in 2011. He spent 12 seasons at Anfield, becoming club captain and lifting both the Premier League and Champions League trophies while making 492 appearances across all competitions.
Henderson then made a controversial move to Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in the summer of 2023 before returning to European football with Ajax.
If completed, the move would mark Chelsea’s first signing of a player aged 36 or older since goalkeeper Rob Green, who joined at 38 in 2018 but never made a competitive appearance for the club.
The closest comparison in recent years is Thiago Silva, who signed from Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 35 in 2020.
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