Danny Welbeck has committed his future to Brighton for another season, triggering a 12-month extension clause in his contract that will keep him at the Amex Stadium until June 2027.
The 35-year-old former Manchester United and Arsenal forward joined Brighton from Watford in October 2020 and has since made 191 appearances for the club, more than at any other in his career.
His deal was set to run out this summer, but, according to Sami Mokbel of the BBC, the player has decided to trigger a one-year extension.
The England international is currently Brighton’s top scorer this season with 11 goals in 30 appearances, including 10 in the Premier League, making him one of the more unlikely names in the conversation about England’s World Cup squad.
Thomas Tuchel revealed in November that he had given serious consideration to calling him up for the qualifiers, and with the squad announcement coming up later this month, Welbeck’s form gives the England manager a decision to think about.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has been vocal about his desire to keep Welbeck at the club and backed him to keep improving.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has been the driving force behind keeping him at the club and made clear at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that the decision makes complete sense to him.
He pointed to fellow veteran James Milner, who recently broke Gareth Barry’s all-time Premier League appearance record at 40 years old, as proof that age is no barrier when the right attitude is in place.
“They are getting better and better, it seems to be, the older they get,” Hurzeler said of Welbeck and Milner.
“Especially for Danny, I think the last two seasons he scored ten or more goals in the Premier League, and I think he was never able to do this before.”
On the World Cup, Hurzeler was also supportive. “I know how Danny wants to represent his country. I hope he can get there. We try to make it possible together with him,” he added.
Welbeck will face his former club Arsenal at the Amex on Wednesday night, with Brighton looking to make it three wins in a row after their difficult winter run.
