Chelsea hold positive talks with Brighton over Welbeck

Chelsea have registered an interest in Brighton striker Danny Welbeck; the 35-year-old posted his best Premier League return last season, scoring 13 goals; Welbeck has just one year remaining on his contract at the Amex Stadium

>By Mark McAdam, Adrian Kajumba & Kaveh Solhekol

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>Chelsea have held positive initial talks with Brighton about a deal for Danny Welbeck.

>With a year remaining on his contract, Brighton do not want to stand in the striker's way as long as they get a fair price for his sale.

>Welbeck has continued to be a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League at 35 years old. Last season he scored 13 times, after scoring 10 in the previous campaign.

>His potential arrival would be another example of Chelsea prioritising physically imposing players with Premier League experience this summer.

>They have already signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m - a record fee for a British player - and are close to bringing in Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

>It would also place further doubt on the futures of strikers Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu.

>Chelsea have signed several players from Brighton in recent seasons including their main striker Joao Pedro, plus Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez.

>A number of Brighton staff members have also moved to Stamford Bridge over the past four years, including sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell.

>Chelsea moving for a Brighton player is not out of the ordinary. However, Chelsea moving for a Brighton player in their mid-30s is.

>The BlueCo era has been defined by hoarding some of the best young talent on the planet and developing them in-house. That method has had some successes, but overall, it hasn't panned out.

>There is clearly some recognition and accountability from the top brass about that. In bringing in Xabi Alonso as manager, they know they have lucked out in getting one of the most highly sought-after tacticians in the game. The Spaniard has clearly identified the need for experience and the club are following his lead.

>The interest in Granit Xhaka earlier in the summer were among the first signs of the shift. Even making a move for Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix is evidence of a change in approach.

>Welbeck, though, is the biggest indicator yet. Is he going to start every week? No. However, Chelsea's four senior strikers have an average age of just 23. Combined, they have made 269 Premier League appearances and scored 74 goals.

>The Brighton veteran has 400 appearances and 90 goals on his own. Chelsea are crying out for these experienced heads to guide the way. Alonso has identified that and those above him seem to be finally taking notice.

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