{"id":1972,"date":"2026-08-23T09:19:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T09:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=1972"},"modified":"2026-08-23T09:19:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T09:19:12","slug":"chelsea-were-offered-the-chance-to-sign-a-better-free-agent-than-jordan-henderson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=1972","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea were offered the chance to sign a better free agent than Jordan Henderson"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Xabi Alonso wanted to add an experienced head to Chelsea\u2019s midfield this summer, so the Spaniard decided to sign Jordan Henderson from Brentford.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alonso was initially keen on Granit Xhaka<\/a>, but Sunderland were reluctant to let their captain go after an excellent season at the Stadium of Light.<\/p>\n

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In the end, Chelsea<\/a> had to settle for Henderson<\/a>, but he was not the only experienced midfielder they had the opportunity to sign on a free transfer during this window.<\/p>\n

Leon Goretzka would have been better free signing than Jordan Henderson<\/h2>\n

Leon Goretzka is set to join Aston Villa, but Chelsea could have also been in the running for his signature if they wanted it.<\/p>\n

According to TEAMtalk<\/a>, the Blues were one of several top Premier League<\/a> clubs who were offered the chance to sign Goretzka. <\/p>\n

Compared to Henderson, given that the German is five years younger, he probably would have been able to make more of an impact on the pitch.<\/p>\n

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Goretzka is not at his peak any more, but he scores more goals from midfield than Henderson and gets up and down the pitch better.<\/p>\n

The 31-year-old has a similar amount of experience to Henderson, so he was exactly what Chelsea were looking for. Chelsea fans were split on Goretzka<\/a>, though, when discussing the idea of him replacing Enzo Fernandez.<\/p>\n

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How would you feel about Leon Goretzka replacing Enzo Fernandez? \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea \ud83d\udcaa<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Leon Goretzka\u2019s and Jordan Henderson\u2019s 2025\/26 season stats compared<\/h2>\n

Goretzka does not score as many goals as Enzo Fernandez, but he did find the back of the net more times than Henderson last season.<\/p>\n

In 31 Bundesliga appearances, Goretzka scored five times. In contrast, Henderson only managed to score one goal in 32 Premier League outings. They both played roughly the same number of minutes.<\/p>\n

Goretzka and Henderson both registered three assists, but the former\u2019s passing was way more accurate. According to WhoScored<\/a>, Goretzka had a pass success rate of 91.4%, whereas Henderson\u2019s was only 77.9%<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Defensively, the Germany international also had better averages for tackles and interceptions made per game.<\/p>\n

Henderson should serve his purpose at Chelsea: add more experience to this young and immature side. But Goretzka could have done the same while bringing even more quality to the pitch.<\/p>\n

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