Chelsea sign England international midfielder Jordan Henderson on free transfer from Premier League rivals Brentford
Updated 03/08/2026 at 20:03 GMT+1
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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of midfielder Jordan Henderson from Brentford on a free transfer. The 36-year-old had a year left on his contract with The Bees but was allowed to leave for Stamford Bridge and join up with new boss Xabi Alonso.
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Henderson, who has 91 caps for England, made one appearance at the FIFA World Cup, but broke his arm during the celebrations after the thrilling win over Mexico at the Azteca.
He became the first Englishman to feature in four different World Cups when he came on as a late substitute in the 2-0 group stage win over Panama.
But he fell awkwardly after attempting to jump over advertising hoardings celebrating England's win at the Azteca - a game he had not played in - which ended his campaign.
Speaking to the Chelsea website, Henderson said: "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.
"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."
Henderson becomes the latest arrival of another busy summer, which has also seen Valentin Barco, Danny Welbeck, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Emmanuel Emegha come to the club.
Henderson was at Liverpool for 12 years, helping the club to some of their most memorable achievements.
He was a key member of the team under Jurgen Klopp who won the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and then the Premier League title in the 2019/20 season, the club's first top-flight crown in three decades.
A controversial move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia followed, before spells at Ajax and then, last season, with Brentford.
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Chelsea believe that experience could well be key as they aim to bounce back from a bruising 2025/26 season.
The Blues were expected to build on their UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup success in 2025, but instead were left floundering.
The London club finished in 10th place and will not be playing European football in the forthcoming campaign.
Chelsea begin their 2026/27 Premier League season away to neighbours Fulham on Monday, August 24, before a home meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, August 30.
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