Danny Welbeck (£6.0m) completed his move from Brighton and Hove Albion to Chelsea for an undisclosed fee last weekend.
The acquisition of the 35-year-old forward marks a departure from Chelsea’s previous policy of investing solely in young players, and will almost certainly bring much-needed experience to Xabi Alonso’s side.
But what will the switch to Stamford Bridge mean for Welbeck’s Fantasy Premier League (FPL) prospects – and perhaps more importantly, how will it affect certain other assets?
COMPETITION – OR MORE LIKE RELIEF – FOR PEDRO
With eight players having signed for Chelsea this summer, Alonso seems to be recruiting a new player every day. For all of the competition for places, though, we can be pretty confident of one thing: Joao Pedro (£7.5m) is going to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
The Brazilian was the fourth top-scoring forward in Fantasy last season with 177 points (see image below). Overlooked for his country’s World Cup misadventures, he will be raring to go when the season gets underway.
He has already offered a taste of what’s to come in Chelsea’s first pre-season friendly by plundering a nine-minute hat-trick. His starting place, barring injury, should be secure, regardless of Welbeck’s arrival. The veteran striker could eat into his game-time when coming off the bench, but that would have been true whoever was deputising for Pedro.
Among Pedro’s other rivals for a place up front, Liam Delap (£5.5m), Nicolas Jackson (£6.5m) and Marc Guiu (£5.0m) are reportedly disposable. Welbeck, therefore, will be considered the main understudy to Pedro.
WELBECK OFF THE FPL MENU
Could Alonso manage minutes and rotate top? Not likely. Chelsea are not involved in any European action this season, so there’s scant reason to rest any of the regulars, until we get to the busy December/January period anyway.
Welbeck, therefore, is very unlikely to come close to the 26 starts he enjoyed last season. It seems that he was brought in as much for his experience, professionalism and positive influence on his younger team-mates as his ability to make the difference in front of goal.
“Personally, Danny is a very important person for me in life. When I came to England, I didn’t speak English, but he always tried to be around me to support me and help me develop.
“This will now be the third time that we have played together and I think, as he did with me in the past, he will give support to everyone in the squad. Danny is this guy; he is very helpful and wants the best for everyone around him and for the team.” – Joao Pedro
We can safely assume then that Welbeck will be deployed as the supersub who can come on in the second halves of matches, ruffle a few feathers and exploit tired defences with his penalty-area poaching.
The move undoubtedly diminishes Welbeck’s appeal as an FPL asset. For £6.0m, you need your third striker to be getting regular starts. He will also fall back in the penalty pecking order with Cole Palmer (£9.5m) ahead of him.
Welbeck could, of course, start alongside Pedro – as happened in Wednesday’s friendly against Juventus:
Above image from BBC Sport
But Palmer wasn’t available for this kickabout, and he surely slots in as a ’10’ when fit – meaning only one striker up front.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR DELAP
This time last year there were high hopes that Liam Delap could prove to be everyone’s favourite bargain forward at £6.5m. Signed by Chelsea following a breakout campaign for Ipswich Town, in which he produced 12 goals and two assists for 132 points from 32 starts, Delap – aided by a suspension for Nicolas Jackson (£6.5m) – had the chance to shine for his new team.
However, Delap didn’t score his first goal until Gameweek 21 and soon lost his place in the side. Behind Welbeck in the pecking order, he looks set to move on this summer.
At 23, Delap needs to find regular football to continue his development and rediscover form and confidence. Chelsea probably wouldn’t stand in his way should an offer come in, too.
Should Delap move to another Premier League club where he is a guaranteed starter, he could easily become an attractive FPL asset again at only £5.5m.
He has already proven that, in the right environment, he has the ability to score goals at this level (a dozen in 2024/25).
£5.5M STARTING FORWARD AT BRIGHTON
If Welbeck’s move has made him damaged FPL goods, it has enhanced the appeal of Brighton’s other forwards.
Georginio Rutter (£5.5m) was often relief for Welbeck up top in the second half of the 2025/26 campaign, and is a contender for more regular football.
Christos Kostoulas (£5.5m), on the other hand, could emerge as a surprise budget enabler up front. The Greek forward was bought for £30m from Olympiacos last summer, making 21 appearances. Just two were from the start, however, as Hurzeler eased the teenager into English football. After a season of acclimatisation, Kostoulas is a contender to start up front – especially with Stefanos Tzimas (£5.5m) and Evan Ferguson (£5.0m) still recovering from long-term injuries.
European football could lead to more week-to-week rotation, of course.
GROSS ON PENALTIES?
Welbeck was Brighton’s first-choice penalty taker last season, with Matt O’Riley (£5.5m) second in line. However, with the Denmark international out of favour, Pascal Gross (£5.5m) has to be fancied for spot-kick duties.
He scored one for the Seagulls in the 4-3 friendly win over Strasbourg recently, which suggests he is the first in line. It should be noted that Brighton were awarded a second penalty in that match. It was converted by Ibrahim Osman, but he surely won’t be troubling the starting XI anytime soon.
Gross was already a midfielder worth considering in his own right on the strength of his set-pieces and chance creation. After re-joining Brighton from Borussia Dortmund in January, he produced six assists and a goal in 18 appearances.
From Gameweek 19, only one midfielder managed more assists (six) than the Germany international. Throw penalties into the mix, and Gross becomes a very attractive prospect indeed.
