Brighton & Hove Albion CEO Paul Barber has explained the Seagulls’ decision to sanction the sale of Danny Welbeck to Chelsea. The 35-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a contract that runs until 2028 at Stamford Bridge.
After having spent six seasons at Brighton, Welbeck’s move to join Chelsea came as a bit of a surprise to many fans. The Englishman netted 13 league goals last season, matching the record for most goals scored by a Brighton player in a Premier League campaign.
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Despite Welbeck being an integral member of the squad, Brighton did not stand in the way of Chelsea, who expressed interest in signing him. While discussing the transfer during a fans’ forum, Barber acknowledged the emotion behind the supporters’ disappointment in the decision.
He stated:
“We understand the surrounding emotion – we are all emotional about it because Danny’s fantastic and has been for six years.
“We also have to look at it pragmatically with a business eye and also think about Fabian [Hurzeler’s] squad opportunities in the season ahead.”
Barber went on to admit that the decision to let go of Welbeck was made after keeping his age in mind. The Brighton chief pointed to how critics would have questioned the club for not signing a replacement, if Welbeck had struggled to cope up with the physical demands of the Premier League after the start of the new season.
He also added that the deal is right for all parties involved:
“If we had started Danny in the first four or five games, and he broke down, there’d be some people saying ‘Why are you relying on a 36-year-old?’ or ‘It’s ridiculous, you should have thought about that!’.
“We do think about these things, we obviously think about them very carefully, and we came to the decision we came to and Danny came to the decision he came to.
“We think it’s right for both sides.”
Welbeck has already made an appearance for Chelsea during their pre-season loss to Juventus. He will be hoping to make a mark at Stamford Bridge this season.
Chelsea face AC Milan next as they move closer to start of Premier League season
Xabi Alonso has two more pre-season friendlies to test his squad before the Blues’ Premier League opener against rivals Fulham. Chelsea face Alvaro Arbeloa’s team in the opening game of the 2026/27 season on August 24.
After having finished 10th in the Premier League last time around, the west London club are in desperate need of a revival. A return to the Champions League is an absolute necessity for Chelsea and will be the main objective for Alonso this term.
Alonso has strengthened his squad with the arrivals of Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Welbeck and Jordan Henderson this summer. Mykhailo Mudryk has also become available for selection after being cleared to play following his doping ban.
Edited by Nived Zenith
