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.

The club have also signed 21-year-old full-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta.

Welbeck, formerly of Manchester United and Arsenal, has hit 90 goals in 400 top-flight appearances - and is the leading Premier League scorer at Brighton, who he joined on a free transfer from Watford in 2021.

His arrival would leave Chelsea with six senior strikers on their books as they look to build around Joao Pedro and Welbeck, with others available for loan or sale.

Among those who could leave on either a permanent deal or loan are Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.

The Blues have also brought in Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha from sister club Strasbourg this summer and he could remain part of the squad. (BBC)

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