Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC
Xabi Alonso wanted to add an experienced head to Chelsea’s midfield this summer, so the Spaniard decided to sign Jordan Henderson from Brentford.
Alonso was initially keen on Granit Xhaka, but Sunderland were reluctant to let their captain go after an excellent season at the Stadium of Light.
In the end, Chelsea had to settle for Henderson, but he was not the only experienced midfielder they had the opportunity to sign on a free transfer during this window.
READ MORE:Jordan Henderson’s and Granit Xhaka’s stats clearly show who’s the better midfielder
Leon Goretzka would have been better free signing than Jordan Henderson
Leon Goretzka is set to join Aston Villa, but Chelsea could have also been in the running for his signature if they wanted it.
According to TEAMtalk, the Blues were one of several top Premier League clubs who were offered the chance to sign Goretzka.
Compared to Henderson, given that the German is five years younger, he probably would have been able to make more of an impact on the pitch.
Leon Goretzka of Germany
Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images
Goretzka is not at his peak any more, but he scores more goals from midfield than Henderson and gets up and down the pitch better.
The 31-year-old has a similar amount of experience to Henderson, so he was exactly what Chelsea were looking for. Chelsea fans were split on Goretzka, though, when discussing the idea of him replacing Enzo Fernandez.
Leon Goretzka of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the Ball
Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images
Leon Goretzka’s and Jordan Henderson’s 2025/26 season stats compared
Goretzka does not score as many goals as Enzo Fernandez, but he did find the back of the net more times than Henderson last season.
In 31 Bundesliga appearances, Goretzka scored five times. In contrast, Henderson only managed to score one goal in 32 Premier League outings. They both played roughly the same number of minutes.
Goretzka and Henderson both registered three assists, but the former’s passing was way more accurate. According to WhoScored, Goretzka had a pass success rate of 91.4%, whereas Henderson’s was only 77.9%.
Defensively, the Germany international also had better averages for tackles and interceptions made per game.
Henderson should serve his purpose at Chelsea: add more experience to this young and immature side. But Goretzka could have done the same while bringing even more quality to the pitch.