Somehow, Chelsea have managed to surpass their own unpredictable standards this summer.
In a dramatic pivot from their transfer policy of signing young players for future success or profit, they have set sights on two names with a combined age of 71.
Danny Welbeck celebrates for Brighton.
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Welbeck is a signing that people did not expect Chelsea to makeCredit: Getty
News of the surprise interest in Brighton striker Danny Welbeck broke on Monday and a move for the 35-year-old could be finalised by the end of the week.
Later that evening, 36-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson became the next seasoned pro to emerge on the Blues' shortlist in what is set to be one of the most unexpected transfer moves of the summer.
The pair have made a combined 863 Premier League appearances at seven clubs that include Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool as well as Sunderland, where they played together in the 2010/11 season.
Add their collective 132 caps with England, and they boast a depth of experience for club and country that any top player would cherish.
Nevertheless, talkSPORT's Andy Goldstein cannot understand why Chelsea are looking to complete deals for Welbeck and Henderson.
"I think it's insane," he said on Tuesday's Breakfast show. "I always look at transfers like this, and people ask me what I think of that transfer.
"If it's the same level as my club, and Chelsea are top six, Man United are top six... if I turned on talkSPORT tomorrow morning and found out we were going after Welbeck and Henderson, I'd be like 'What on Earth is going on at my club?"
Andy Townsend then asked him about how he responded when United signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrik Larsson and Cristiano Ronaldo (for a second time), all of whom were at least 34-years-old.
Goldstein argued they were all world-beaters, before adding: "I'm going above and beyond to prove my point, but (Lionel) Messi, if he signed for Chelsea, I'd go, 'I can totally get that, it's Messi'. "But Danny Welbeck? No disrespect... Jordan Henderson, I mean?"
Yes, the moves have raised eyebrows and both players are not seen as long-term additions given their age but, when looking at the current Chelsea squad, Welbeck and Henderson could be huge influences.
Jordan Henderson for Brentford.
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Henderson is another shock name on the Chelsea shortlistCredit: Getty
Improving the lack of discipline
Chelsea had a whopping ten dismissals throughout last season, eight of which came in the Premier League - only Tottenham and Everton were closest on four each.
The average age of all nine players to get red cards was 24.6, which narrowly drops to 24.4 when you remove Marc Cucurella now that he has joined Real Madrid.
Just three matches in which a Chelsea player was sent off ended in a victory and they all came in the 86th minute or later, so more than likely had little to no impact on the result.
Chelsea red cards during the 2025/26 season
Robert Sanchez - Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea - September 20
Trevoh Chalobah - Chelsea 1-3 Brighton - September 27
Joao Pedro - Chelsea 1-0 Benfica - September 30
Malo Gusto - Nottingham Forest 0-3 Chelsea - October 18
Liam Delap - Wolves 3-4 Chelsea - October 29
Moises Caicedo - Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal - November 30
Marc Cucurella - Fulham 2-1 Chelsea - January 7
Trevoh Chalobah - Chelsea 1-1 Burnley - February 21
Pedro Neto - Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea - March 1
Wesley Fofana - Sunderland 2-1 Chelsea - May 24
However, when coupling this with their 90 Premier League yellow cards in the 2025/26 season, the second-highest total, it's clear that discipline was a major issue at Stamford Bridge.
Welbeck has never been sent off during his career and averaged just one yellow card per 16.9 matches
Meanwhile, Henderson's numbers are a little higher as he has had two dismissals and been booked every 8.4 matches but, given his natural midfield position, he is more prone to giving away fouls.
Marc Cucurella is sent off for Chelsea against Fulham.
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Chelsea were very familiar with yellow and red cards last seasonCredit: Getty
What makes them smart signings for Chelsea is not just their strong willpower, but also their ability to keep a cool head in high-pressure situations on the pitch.
Welbeck and Henderson are no minnows in English football - they are two players who have represented some of the biggest clubs in world football and featured on the biggest stages.
Alongside a Premier League trophy, two FA Cups, two League Cups and a Club World Cup, Welbeck has played for England at three major tournaments - Euro 2012, as well as the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
Henderson has appeared at seven such tournaments as a Three Lions international, and is a Premier League and Champions League winner, with three outings coming in finals of the latter competition.
'When the going gets tough, the tough get going' is applicable to the pair, and something that can't be said for many of those at Chelsea as of now.
But with level-headed and experienced players such as Welbeck and Henderson in the squad, there is a sense that they can bring a level of composure that has evidently been missing.
Setting standards
The competition for midfield places at Chelsea is strong - even if Enzo Fernandez eyes a summer exit - with players such as Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo among their options.
Bournemouth star Alex Scott is also understood to be of interest so Henderson, who turns 37 at the end of the new season, may not be a guaranteed starter.
Jordan Henderson and Jude Bellingham at the World Cup with England.
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Bellingham spoke very highly of Henderson at the World CupCredit: Getty
This does not do anything to undermine his influence though - just listen to his World Cup teammates Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers, who has joined Chelsea in a £117million move from Aston Villa.
"Don't get us started on Hendo, we could speak about Hendo for hours," Bellingham said on Lions' Den, with Rogers adding: "The best guy I've ever come across, I think, in football."
Bellingham continued: "If there's ever an issue that you maybe think, 'I'm 22, 23, maybe it's a bit too much for me to go and address', he'll do it for you.
"If there's a problem between two people, he'll bring them together, he's that kind of person. Even staff will go to him to sort out issues. He's got no ego when it comes to supporting the team.
"He's a Champions League-winning captain, Premier League-winning captain... he was doing the sets for the finishes yesterday, he doesn't have to do that, he doesn't have to be that humble.
"Every day in training, he's relentless in wanting to be better and wanting to push everyone else to be better, he drives the intensity up."
Henderson played just six minutes for England at the World Cup, but he had an element of seniority in the 26-man squad, which meant he was more than just a player.
When celebrating the 3-2 win over co-hosts Mexico in the last 16, he fell over the advertising boards and suffered a freak broken arm as a result, which required surgery.
Jordan Henderson for England at the World Cup.
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Henderson brushed off his injury to help England prepare for the quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
It was later revealed that he had a 'completely smashed' forearm, but this did not deter him from joining in with the pre-match warm-up ahead of the 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway whilst wearing a cast.
Okay, in hindsight, this may have been a risky move for his long-term fitness, especially if a rogue ball managed to hit the stricken limb.
However, it's a testament to his commitment to the team that he was willing to risk his health by helping with their preparations, a strong trait that only strengthens his status as a leader.
Henderson can show Chelsea that, even if he does not appear on the pitch, he wants to remain a key part of the team and do everything he can to help contribute to their success.
If you can't beat them, sign them!
Every club has a player that seems to love facing them, no matter the time, place, competition or context surrounding their fixtures - for Chelsea, that's Welbeck.
He has scored or assisted against them over the past five campaigns, with three of his six strikes at Brighton coming in their league double last season.
Welbeck also netted versus Chelsea during his loan at Sunderland as he found their third in a shock 3-0 away win (Henderson played in midfield that day).
In fact, Stamford Bridge is a ground that he clearly enjoys going to - five of the seven total goals that have come against his new club were scored there.
Danny Welbeck celebrates for Brighton against Chelsea.
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Welbeck knows where the target is at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
Like Henderson, Welbeck is by no means guaranteed to lead the line for Chelsea on a regular basis, especially when Joao Pedro scored 20 goals in 50 appearances during his debut season.
The forward also turns 36 in November, but he has just had his best Premier League campaign to date with 13 goals scored, so what's not to like?
Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap look likely to leave this summer, and Emmanuel Emegha would benefit from learning off Welbeck now that he's joined from sister club Strasbourg.
Manager Xabi Alonso will have a good balance of ready-made quality, experience and youth in his attacking options with Pedro, Welbeck and Emegha respectively.