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Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber has revealed the club “couldn’t and wouldn’t” match Chelsea’s offer of a two-year contract to Danny Welbeck, explaining the circumstances behind the veteran forward’s departure to Stamford Bridge.
Speaking about the reported move, Barber said Brighton were unwilling to compete with the terms offered by Chelsea, despite Welbeck’s importance both on and off the pitch during his time with the Seagulls.
Welbeck, who established himself as one of Brighton’s most experienced figures, is understood to have accepted CHELSEA‘s proposal after the London club tabled a two-year deal. Barber acknowledged the decision was driven by the financial and contractual realities facing Brighton
Barber said: “We understand the emotion around it – we are all emotional about it because Danny’s fantastic and has been for six years.
“We also have to look at it pragmatically with a business eye and also think about Fabian [Hurzeler’s] squad opportunities in the season ahead.”
Barber also defended letting Welbeck go as the ex-England forward, who was tipped for a surprise World Cup recall which never came this summer, turns 36 in November.
He said: “If we had started Danny in the first four or five games and he broke down, there’ll be some people saying ‘Why are you relying on a 36-year-old?’ or ‘It’s ridiculous, you should have thought about that!’
“We do think about these things, we obviously think about them very carefully and we came to the decision we came to and Danny came to the decision he came to. We think it’s right for both sides.”
What will Welbeck bring?
Welbeck brings something CHELSEA have often lacked in recent seasons: experience. With more than 400 Premier League appearances behind him, the former Manchester United, Arsenal and Brighton striker knows what it takes to survive the pressure of playing at the top level.
More importantly, he has experienced the demands of competing for trophies and understands the physical and mental challenges of English football.
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