Brighton striker Danny Welbeck is given permission to have a medical at Stamford Bridge as his move to Chelsea moves closer.

Chelsea are finalising a move for Brighton striker Danny Welbeck after he was given permission to have a medical at Stamford Bridge. Welbeck, 35, is set to link up with his new club in Hong Kong next week for pre-season as he prepares to sign a two-year contract. The move is part of new manager Xabi Alonso's recruitment drive to add experience to Chelsea's squad, which has been the youngest in the Premier League for the past two seasons. Their focus on youth has been viewed as a factor in their inability to challenge consistently for major honours. Towards the end of last season's disappointing campaign, when they finished 10th and won nothing, Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali said their recruitment model needed a "tweak". Since then, Chelsea have made an offer to reunite Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka, 34, with Alonso - they won the Bundesliga title together at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024. They have also signed 26-year-old centre-back Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace on a six-year contract, pending an official announcement, while talks continue over a deal for Brentford midfielder Jordan Henderson, 36. Morgan Rogers, signed for a club record £117m from Aston Villa earlier this month, is also relatively experienced, despite having just turned 24.