The best veteran signings in Premier League history as Chelsea target Henderson, Welbeck

Gary McAllister – Liverpool (2000)

McAllister was integral as Liverpool won a League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup treble during his debut season, with a man-of-the-match performance in the latter final. He scored one and was involved in three other goals as Liverpool beat Deportivo Alaves 5-4 in a thrilling decider.

McAllister made 87 appearances over two seasons with the Reds and was credited for his role in the development of a young Steven Gerrard.

“He took a shine to me and helped me a lot to progress as a footballer on the pitch but also how to be humble and be a decent person off it. So I owe Gary Mac an awful lot.”

Youri Djorkaeff – Bolton Wanderers (2002)

Sam Allardyce’s sales skills need to be studied.

Big Sam somehow lured some massive names to Bolton Wanderers in the early noughties, with the Trotters becoming something of a retirement home for marquee names.

Youri Djorkaeff was one of the first big names to sign for the club, with the World Cup and European Championship winner arriving from Kaiserslautern. Djorkaeff was 34 at the time of his arrival, but scored 21 goals in 87 games as Bolton consolidated as a top-flight team.

Edwin van der Sar – Manchester United (2005)

The 35-year-old was viewed as an experienced stop-gap for what had been a problem position, but spent six seasons as the club’s number one.

Van der Sar was the safe pair of hands the club had lacked since Schmeichel’s exit, winning four league titles and the Champions League among 11 trophies at Old Trafford.

In 2008/09, he set a world record of 1,311 minutes without conceding in the league on route to the Golden Glove and Premier League title.

Esteban Cambiasso – Leicester City (2014)

At 34, Cambiasso was not quite the all-action presence of his Serie A peak, but he was a driving force in Leicester’s unlikely escape from relegation. Bottom of the table until mid-April, Cambiasso helped lead Leicester to seven wins from their final nine games to survive.

He was named the Foxes’ Player of the Year, but departed that summer for Olympiacos. However, his influence helped set the wheels in motion for the club’s stunning Premier League title success just 12 months later.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Manchester United (2016)

After leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, Ibrahimovic reunited with former manager Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. It was a risk for the 35 year old, but Ibrahimovic had never been short of confidence.

He marked his debut with a goal at Bournemouth and scored 28 goals in 46 games, including a double to sink Southampton in the League Cup final.

A knee injury curtailed his campaign and ultimately, barring a few cameo appearances, his time with the club. Ibrahimovic, however, had silenced those doubters.

“I really enjoyed because when I came, everybody was against it. And then in England, they didn’t like me.

“All these haters, after three months, they started to like me, I didn’t like them anymore. I like people when they hate you because then they bring out the better of you. I had fun. (It) is a great competition, (an) amazing atmosphere.

“And I’m happy I played for United, which I think is the best team in England. And I think it was the right choice to go to Manchester United.

“I think I came in a good moment. Because it’s easy to come to a club when the success is already there. It’s more difficult when you come and the challenge is different. And then if you manage to have a success, you’re part of the story. So the fans (were) great to me. And I really enjoyed (it). A lot of things happened.”

Thiago Silva – Chelsea (2020)

The Brazilian signed for Chelsea on an initial one-year deal in 2020, with scepticism around how the ageing icon would handle the Premier League intensity. That one-year deal soon became four seasons, as Silva made 155 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions. His debut campaign ended with a long-awaited Champions League success, even if his final was cut short due to injury.

In 2023, at 39, he was named Chelsea’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season.