Jordan Henderson has left Brentford as a free agent after a mutual agreement was reached to terminate his contract, opening the door for Chelsea to sign him.
Henderson had a year left on his contract at Brentford but the club announced he had left on Wednesday.
According to reports in the UK, Chelsea have been targeting Henderson -- along with fellow experienced England international Danny Welbeck.
"I leave Brentford with a lot of gratitude for the opportunity the club gave me, and for the support and care shown to me and my family from day one," Henderson said.
Director of football Phil Giles said that while Henderson signed a two-year deal after joining from Ajax last summer, they always planned to have talks after the World Cup -- where Henderson featured for England.
"Following those conversations, it was clear that Jordan's preference was to try something different in the final years of his playing career," Giles said. "We had always said to him that, should that be the case, we would not stand in his way.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews added: "Taking into consideration Jordan's ambitions and where our squad is currently, we both felt it was the right time for Jordan to pursue his career elsewhere."
