Chelsea have completed the signing of Danny Welbeck from Brighton for an undisclosed fee. The club has turned to Welbeck to add experience to manager Xabi Alonso's squad. The last time Chelsea paid a transfer fee for a player over 26 was four years ago with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Welbeck, 35, has continued to be a reliable goalscorer, netting 13 goals last season and 10 the campaign before. His arrival follows Chelsea's signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117m, a record fee for a British player, and Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix. The move places further doubt on the futures of strikers Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap, and Marc Guiu.

Gary Neville has backed the decision, saying Chelsea's young players need senior professionals to provide guidance and leadership. "Putting in a spine of good, senior professionals is not magic. It's something all top teams have had for many decades," Neville said. Welbeck expressed "immense pride" at joining a club he described as wanting to win trophies every season.