Which Jersey Number Could Danny Welbeck Wear If He Joins Chelsea?

Danny Welbeck's rumored transfer to Chelsea has sparked conversation about the one topic you're not meant to bring up: his age.

The 34-year-old can also point to 90 Premier League goals across 400 appearances, along with one top-flight championship with Manchester United. Nevertheless, it is his wealth of experience that seems to be the most valuable asset Welbeck would bring to Stamford Bridge.

"We need proper balance in terms of qualities, in terms of positions, in terms of balance," Xabi Alonso cautioned this week. "We want to have a complete squad and we want to make a good team." To slot into the side, Welbeck will need to be assigned a new squad number.

Danny Welbeck's Potential Shirt Numbers at Chelsea

Welbeck has switched squad numbers at every club throughout his career. The No. 18 has been his regular digit at Brighton & Hove Albion over the past six seasons, though he has also worn the 10, 23, and 19 at various points.

There are few vacant numbers left in Chelsea's squad. Marco Palestra has been assigned No. 2, while Morgan Rogers claimed the 17 after completing his record-breaking transfer from Aston Villa earlier this summer.

However, the No. 18 remains unclaimed. No player has worn that number at Chelsea since Christopher Nkunku brought his difficult spell in west London to a close last year, moving on to an equally troubled stint at AC Milan. Should Welbeck wish to steer clear of a similar fate, he could be in line for that number with a bit of patience.

Available Jersey Numbers at Chelsea

Jersey Numbers That Could Become Available

Despite spending the bulk of his career leading the line as a striker, largely in a traditional sense — running in behind defenses and holding his own against centre-backs rather than dropping deep — Welbeck has never worn the No. 9 at club level. That opportunity may soon arise at Chelsea.

Liam Delap's future at the club looks increasingly uncertain. The powerful forward endured a forgettable debut campaign, managing just one Premier League goal from 28 outings. Following a sluggish start to preseason, it is widely anticipated that Delap will relinquish the No. 9 in the coming weeks.

Whether Welbeck would be willing to take on the so-called 'curse' of Chelsea's No. 9 shirt is another question entirely. "It's something that people speculate about but it doesn't mean anything to me," Delap dismissed when pressed on the lengthy list of strikers who repeatedly struggled to justify their reputations while wearing that number at Chelsea. Those words have since come back to haunt him.

Should Welbeck prefer to return to the No. 19 he regularly wore at Manchester United, he would simply need to wait for a new destination to be found for Mamadou Sarr, who is expected to depart — at least on loan — before the summer is out.