Chelsea lead race to sign Jordan Henderson in shock free transfer as two more clubs battling for England star

CHELSEA are plotting a shock swoop for Brentford star Jordan Henderson. The Blues are aiming to add more experience this summer and see the England veteran as an ideal addition. Jordan Henderson is attracting plenty of transfer attention this summer Credit: Getty Henderson, 36, provided Brentford with valuable leadership last season Credit: Getty Henderson, 36, joined Brentford on a two-year deal ahead of last season following 18 months at Ajax. Keith Andrews‘ side could now grant him a free transfer to Chelsea as he prolongs his career at the top level. Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! The Blues are not the only club interested, however, with two other Prem sides believed to be chasing the midfielder’s signature. Henderson was part of Thomas Tuchel‘s England World Cup squad and was seen as a valuable leader in the dressing room. This makes him a suitable candidate for Chelsea’s transfer strategy this summer, which has pivoted from almost entirely focusing on recruiting talented young players to aiming for more experience. Earlier this summer the Blues targeted Sunderland’s 33-year-old former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka. And today it emerged that they want to add Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, 35, to their forward line. SunSport also reported last week that the Blues are considering a swoop for John Stones, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester City at the end of last season. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Henderson began his career at Sunderland and played 79 times for the Black Cats before landing a move to Liverpool in 2011. The boyhood Mackem starred at Anfield for 12 years, succeeding Steven Gerrard as captain and going on to win a Premier League title, the Champions League, an FA Cup, two League Cups and the Club World Cup. After seeing his minutes start to decline, Henderson opted to reunite with Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq in the summer of 2023. The England star received plenty of criticism for his Saudi move and quickly decided to return to Europe, signing for Ajax in January 2024. Henderson has won plenty of trophies during his career Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd The midfielder played abroad with Al-Ettifaq and Ajax Credit: AP Henderson soon got his career back on track in Amsterdam, playing 57 times for the Dutch giants ahead of a Premier League return with Brentford in 2025. He subsequently helped the Bees to a ninth place finish. Having been in the international wilderness between November 2023 and March 2025, Henderson has since become a regular in Tuchel’s England squads. The 90-cap star was picked for this summer’s World Cup, but was limited to just one cameo appearance from the bench. During the celebrations of England’s 3-2 win in Mexico, Henderson suffered a broken arm as he fell while vaulting an advertising board. It remains to be seen when he will fully recover from the injury. Henderson's career so far Clubs: 2008-2011: Sunderland 79 appearances, 5 goals 2009 (loan): Coventry City 13 appearances, 1 goal 2011-2023: Liverpool 492 appearances, 33 goals 2023-24: Al-Ettifaq 19 appearances, 0 goals 2024-2025: Ajax 57 appearances, 1 goal 2025-26: Brentford 34 appearances, 1 goal Trophies: Premier League: 2019-20 Champions League: 2018-19 FA Cup: 2021-22 League Cup: 2011-12, 2021-22 Fifa Club World Cup: 2019 Community Shield: 2022 Uefa Super Cup: 2019 Comment now