Chelsea moves for Henderson and Welbeck are no laughing matter – they need some proper adults to sort out dressing room

THE more Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck play for Chelsea, the worse next season will be – but they can still make a big impact. News of interest in the former England stars sparked unsurprising laughter from many. Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck can be valuable leaders for Chelsea Credit: Getty They will bring experience to a young squad Credit: Getty Who would the Blues go after next? Lee Cattermole? James Milner? Danny Ings? There is, of course, a continuation of the comedic (yet frustrating, for many) Brighton link with Welbeck, but none of this should detract from how important these two players can be. Sign up for the Chelsea newsletter Thank you! Chelsea have been crying out for some experienced heads. Not just on the pitch but around the club in general. In 2023, after Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter had been sacked within nine months of BlueCo’s takeover, Frank Lampard bemoaned the lack of standards in training. Albeit that was with over 33 players in the squad at one time. He wasn’t the only boss to complain, though. Mauricio Pochettino was demanding players who had been there and done it by the end of his first summer. And earlier this year, after binning off Liam Rosenior – who had promised a change of direction in the transfer market – Chelsea’s “period of self reflection” began. Marc Cucurella called for players with Champions League know-how in March when PSG brutally dismantled Rosenior’s credibility and the Clearlake project across 180 minutes. Most read in Sport SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET UP TO £100 BONUS Xabi Alonso needs help creating a strong culture Credit: Alamy Enzo Fernandez feels the same. Whether or not two guys from England squads at Euro 2012 and World Cup 2014 can bring that is up for debate. Are these really the sort of players Chelsea need? Well, maybe. Possibly, yes. Probably. These are not deals Chelsea would have pursued at any other point since the current sporting directors were appointed after Todd Boehly‘s wild interim tenure. And although it is fair to question what Henderson can actually do for Chelsea in terms of passing, control, and physicality on the field, do not underplay his credentials. He is the last British captain to win the Premier League. Hendo has been there and seen it all. The former Sunderland midfielder has lifted the Champions League, played over 450 Prem matches, and is now used to being a drinks carrier. He has been a talented prodigy, an underrated and undervalued squad player, written off at a big club, and then a key cog further down the line. Henderson has played a vital part at times and supporting ones at others. Tuchel picked him for this summer’s World Cup despite knowing he would be unlikely to feature massively. It is not Henderson’s fault that he was preferred over Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton on the plane or ahead of Kobbie Mainoo for sub minutes – that should not be a stick to beat him with. The pair have been there and done it at club level Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Hendo is the last British player to lift the Champions League or Premier League as captain Credit: Getty But every player in the camp has expressed their admiration and love for his very presence. Jude Bellingham missed him at Euro 2024 when things were off under Gareth Southgate. New signing Morgan Rogers has praised his professionalism. These have been severely lacking at Chelsea with only a handful of players taking on any sort of responsibility. Reece James is a skipper by example and is growing into the role after a quiet start. Levi Colwill is a natural next in line but was absent last term through injury. Cucurella was deemed a leader but spoke out against the club when Chelsea needed to pull together. And Fernandez certainly demands plenty from his team-mates but has more disciplinary issues off the pitch than he does on it. Would he be giving interviews flirting brazenly with Madrid during the international break if Henderson was around to remind him that it isn’t right way to go? Who knows. But it can’t hurt to have someone there to set the bar. Rosenior was not a personality big enough to do so. And very few at Chelsea have seemed confident enough to stand up when it has mattered. Instead they either go over the top or are cowed by it. Xabi Alonso has arrived and wants some help in setting the culture. The Chelsea Blueprint on YouTube Calling all Chelsea fans - we have a brand new YouTube channel! He is an adult in the room as a manager but needs eyes and ears on the ground. Chelsea used to be swamped with people to do this – a squad full of international captains and authority figures. The logic was that the young players would develop this part of their character but it hasn’t happened such is the unstable environment. As Alonso settles in, this is a clear effort to try and change that. This isn’t Thiago Silva – but it is someone who should automatically have the respect of the dressing room. If Henderson and Welbeck can act as mentors for the youngsters still there – take any of the teenage Cobham hopefuls making a strong impression on pre-season, or Dastan Satpayev and Shumaira Mheuka up front – then it is job well done. The issue will be if they have to play too much football. Henderson is likely to be fourth choice in a pivot with Moises Caicedo, Fernandez (if he stays, or his replacement), and Romeo Lavia (when fit) ahead of him. Should Dario Essugo remain, even he will surely feature ahead of Hendo. Maybe the kids – Reggie Watson and Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, both 16, or Reggie Walsh – will get cup action before him as well. If he ends up being relied on then Chelsea will lose out because Henderson is not the player they need to improve in terms of tactical acumen or match-winning ability. He and Welbeck are about mental resilience and building a strong foundation to work in every day. Enzo Fernandez is deemed captaincy material but does not act like it Credit: AFP Marc Cucurella threw his team-mates under the bus before leaving Credit: PA If they can leave a lasting effect on the training ground and youth and keep things together then there is nothing really to lose. The same goes for Welbeck, who is an ideal elder statesman third choice. If he is behind Joao Pedro and one of Nicolas Jackson or Emmanuel Emegha then Chelsea are in a strong place. Whether it has gone too far to the side of experience is one question, but there has certainly been a huge shift. The Blues spoke with John Stones, 32, before he chose Inter Milan. A bid was made for Granit Xhaka, 34, only for Sunderland to stand in his way. Could Chelsea have found a middle ground between a pair nearly 10 years older than their previous most senior buy in the last four years? Sure. But if Henderson and Welbeck can, for the most part, be non-playing cheerleaders for a team and club that has been desperately short of discipline, then there is no reason to look down on the business. Along with new chief Dave Fallows, who arrived from Liverpool last year, there does seem to be more elite knowledge inside the walls at Chelsea. That cannot be a bad thing. Comment now