Jordan Henderson has signed for Chelsea on a free transfer following his exit from Brentford.
The 36-year-old left the Bees by mutual consent last week, having spent just one season at the club and making 34 appearances across all competitions.
He has now signed a two-year deal with Chelsea as Xabi Alonso aims to add more experience to his young squad, with Henderson following Danny Welbeck to the Blues.
Henderson, who was part of England’s World Cup squad before breaking his arm trying to jump over an advertising board after their last-16 win over Mexico, has won eight trophies in his career, including a Premier League title and a Champions League while at Liverpool.
He’s here. pic.twitter.com/exv97kh5K5
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 3, 2026
“Given the size of the club, the manager, who I have great admiration for, and the quality of the players, this was a huge opportunity I couldn’t turn down,” Henderson told the club’s website.
“I was also so impressed with how much the ownership want Chelsea to be successful and move in the right direction.
“For me, it’s about giving everything every single day, both on and off the field, to help the players around me and the team as much as possible. I’m very excited to get going.”
Chelsea have not given a single minute to a player over the age of 30 in any of their last 123 matches in all competitions, since 39-year-old Thiago Silva’s last appearance in May 2024.
Henderson directly contributed to four goals (one goal, three assists) upon his return to the Premier League, which came two years after he left Liverpool.
The midfielder has also played for Sunderland – making his professional debut at Stamford Bridge – before moving to Liverpool, where he made 492 appearances in all competitions.
Since making his Premier League debut in Sunderland’s 5-0 away defeat to Chelsea in November 2008, only James Milner (481) has made more appearances in the competition than Henderson (463).
There is also set to be an outgoing on the cards for Chelsea, who have reportedly accepted a €36m (£30.8m) bid from Como for Trevoh Chalobah.
