EPL: Alonso reveals why Chelsea signed 36-year-old Henderson after 5-1 win over Bournemouth

​Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has revealed the reasons behind the club’s decision to sign Jordan Henderson in the summer of 2026.

Chelsea signed the former Liverpool captain from Brentford on a two-year contract ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The 36-year-old England international was expected to bring extensive Premier League and Champions League experience to Stamford Bridge, having captained Liverpool to titles in both competitions.

Henderson made an impact on Saturday, scoring twice as Chelsea defeated Bournemouth 5-1.

Asked whether his goals justified the decision to sign the Englishman, Alonso told reporters at his post-match press conference: “We signed him for everything. If he’s able to score two beauties as today, we are more than happy for him. But apart from the goals, he’s done many, many good things. I think that today was a very complete performance.

“We were in control for most of the parts of the game, so I’m happy with that. We had a good stability in defence as well, just a couple of situations in the first half. And the second one, after conceding the 3-1 for eight minutes to the 4-1, we were not in control but overall happy with the game, with the performance. It’s many positives to take from the future and other ones to keep going.”

Chelsea’s next game is an away fixture against David Moyes’ Everton at Goodison Park.