Chelsea hoping to repeat Man Utd and Liverpool's inspired transfer deals with latest moves

Chelsea have raised eyebrows in the market by going after Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson as Xabi Alonso throws a curveball with his recruitment plans.

The Blues have been associated with some of the most blockbuster transfers of the last five years, landing the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Morgan Rogers for huge sums.

Rogers is their big capture of the summer, but as Alonso looks to put his stamp on a squad that floundered last season, finishing 10th, he's turned to some tried and tested Premier League performers who are certainly closing in on the ends of their careers.

Welbeck, now 35, is enjoying an Indian summer to his career and was seen as an outsider for England's World Cup squad. He's not played for a major side since leaving Arsenal in 2019, but could find his way back via Stamford Bridge.

Not long after it emerged that Chelsea were working on a deal to land Jordan Henderson, another veteran performer at 36. The midfielder spent last year at Brentford after playing for in Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands, but clearly Alonso and Thomas Tuchel see something in him with the ex-Liverpool man part of the World Cup squad.

While such moves have been ridiculed they have more than worked in the past. Players are playing later and later now, without their level dropping. Just because its not a long-term investment, doesn't mean it can't work for the here and now.

Chelsea have ultimately underdelivered with their plan to continue investing in youth, which has got them nowhere for all the talk of potential and having the youngest squad in the league. Ultimately they need players who can get the job done.

After all Henderson is a man who has lifted the Premier League and the Champions League during his career. Here are some cases of veteran moves that more than paid off for their club.

The Swede was a free agent after leaving PSG and decided to team back up with Jose Mourinho, who he'd worked with successfully at Inter Milan. Ibrahimovic was well into his 30s but had scored at an alarming rate whilst in Paris and decided to show he could crack it in England. He scored on debut and whilst the Red Devils didn't have their finest campaign Ibrahimovic didn't let his level drop. He finished with 28 goals - 17 more than his closest team-mate. He would also come up trumps, scoring the winner to claim the Community Shield and the Carabao Cup.

Then Reds boss Gerard Houllier was questioned when he signed a 35-year-old McAllister on a free after he'd left Coventry, especially when he had a young Steven Gerrard coming through the ranks. However he would prove a stroke of genius as Liverpool won their treble of trophies. His experience more than told and the Scotland midfielder was man of the match in the 2001 UEFA Cup final win over Alaves, scored a penalty winner against Barcelona in the semi-final before that and came up with an iconic 44-yard free-kick that won the Merseyside derby in stoppage time.

He was 34 when he decided to call time on a decade at Inter, where he'd won five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia crown and and a Champions League. The Argentine swapped that for newly promoted Leicester and would inspire late season form that kept them in the Premier League.

His first meaningful contribution saw him score in a comeback 5-3 win over the Red Devils. He was named Foxes Player of the Year after his impressive spell but chose not to sign a new deal with Leicester securing their historic title success the following year.

The German was by no means adored in England when he first rocked up at Tottenham in 1994 from Monaco. Klinsmann scored on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday and immediately won over supporters with a diving celebration, having been accused of the act previously. Klinsmann scored an amazing 30 goals in all competitions in his only season with Tottenham in his first spell. The forward then returned to Spurs at the age of 33 with Klinsmann’s goals saving the club from relegation after arriving in the winter.

Maybe not in the peak veteran category having been 30 when he moved from Real Madrid, but their struggles after his exit showcased just how influential he was. The Blues flourished with the Frenchman at the base of their midfield and he effectively had a role and his position named after him, he was that good at it. He helped Chelsea win two Premier League titles during their first period under Jose Mourinho.