Chelsea are pushing to sign midfielder Jordan Henderson from Brentford, with the West London club currently leading the race for the former England captain.

Several Premier League clubs have expressed interest in the 36-year-old, but Chelsea are understood to be the frontrunners.

Brentford are prepared to allow Henderson to leave on a free transfer despite the midfielder still having a year remaining on the contract he signed after joining from Ajax last summer.

Henderson was part of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad at this summer’s World Cup, although his tournament was disrupted by injury.

The midfielder suffered a broken left arm after slipping while climbing over an advertising board during England’s last-16 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca.

Chelsea’s pursuit of Henderson continues a noticeable shift in transfer strategy. After prioritising younger signings in recent years, the club have increasingly explored moves for established and experienced players during the current window.

In midfield, Chelsea have already sanctioned the departure of Andrey Santos, who joined Manchester United in a deal worth up to £50m this summer.

Henderson featured regularly for Brentford last season, making 22 Premier League starts and a further 10 appearances from the bench.

The veteran midfielder began his career at Sunderland before completing a move to Liverpool in 2011. During a 12-year spell at Anfield, Henderson established himself as one of the club’s most influential figures, captaining Liverpool to both Premier League and Champions League success while making 492 appearances in all competitions.

He left Liverpool for Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq in 2023, a move that attracted significant scrutiny due to his previous support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Chelsea are currently continuing their pre-season preparations in Australia, where they are scheduled to face Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham before travelling to Hong Kong to take on Juventus.