Chelsea has just received the nod from Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson. This is something that shocked the British media because it goes completely against the transfer policy of the London team for many years.
In recent years, The Blues have tended to buy young players, even stars who have not been polished much. After that, they can use or sell to another team to make a profit. Some recent young talents include striker Estevao (18 years old, joined from Palmeiras), left-back Jorrel Hato (Ajax) and goalkeeper Mike Penders (Genk) both 20 years old.
If Chelsea recruits a seasoned player, that person must prove their class and have a long service life. Some names that have played well and met expectations are Pedro Neto (Wolves), Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo (Brighton).
The Welbeck and Henderson duo are both over 35 years old. With Henderson, he will become the player with the most matches played in the Premier League. This deal reminds The Blues fans of when Thiago Silva came from PSG, when the Brazilian center-back was also 35 years old.
Why would a person who favors young talents, has a fast and physical philosophy like Xabi Alonso recruit Welbeck and Henderson? Last season, Chelsea went through a period of extreme chaos when they sacked coaches twice (Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior). In the use of Rosenior, Chelsea showed limitations when they did not have many experienced players in the squad.
When there are no "big brothers" in the team, once a crisis occurs, Chelsea's weaknesses are clearly seen. There were times when the team received continuous red cards for lack of discipline. Last season, Chelsea was at the top of the league table for quite a long time, then plummeted to the point of not being able to participate in European cups.
This is exactly what Marc Cucurella admitted after Chelsea's defeat with a total score of 2-8 to PSG in the Champions League last season. The Spanish defender shared that the team was too inexperienced that disaster occurred. Remember that in the first leg, by the 70th minute the score was still 2-2 at Parc des Princes and Chelsea still had the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
A few weeks after that defeat, in a press conference, Liam Rosenior also shared about the cause of the defeat. According to him, the reason the team collapsed in such a way partly came from not being able to control their emotions and no one knew what to do to win in difficult times.
With Henderson, the experience factor will be prioritized over the ability to contribute on the field. Captain Keith Andrews (Brentford) and Thomas Tuchel (England team) both praised the leadership qualities of the former Liverpool captain. This is something Chelsea is very lacking in the dressing room, especially when looking at the crisis period in the second half of last season. Besides, Welbeck is also considered a good addition in this aspect.
However, Henderson and Welbeck will not agree to transfer to Chelsea just for the role of dressing room leaders and transferring experience. This duo also wants to prove their playing ability, although they have passed their peak, they can still be useful in many situations. In the last two seasons, Danny Welbeck has achieved the best scoring record in his 18-year Premier League career. Chelsea understand better than anyone the threat from the former Man United star through head-to-head record: 7 goals and 2 assists after 17 encounters.
Last season, Jordan Henderson played 32 matches in the Premier League for Brentford, with 22 starts. This number for Welbeck is 26 times. Henderson is expected to be a reliable factor, promising to help Chelsea control the game better. This is something the team sometimes has difficulty doing.
In a season without playing European cups and there will be more than 40 matches, the playing time for the players will be limited. The presence of this duo will increase competitiveness, causing Chelsea's main players to have to improve their ability if they do not want to sit on the bench.
