Manchester United have reportedly identified Paul Mitchell, who unearthed Dele Alli, as a possible candidate for the new Director of Football role
According to a report by Sky Sports, Manchester United seem to be widening their scope of recruitment as far as hiring a new sporting director is concerned. The latest name on the radar of the Premier League heavyweights is RB Leipzig’s head of recruitment Paul Mitchell, who has been credited for finding Dele Alli.
Backroom changes are reportedly in effect at Manchester United after a frustrating time during the summer transfer window. After struggling to land Jose Mourinho’s listed targets, the club are now looking to appoint a technical director to enable efficacy in their transfer business.
Several names have been reported to be on the wishlist of Manchester United, including former player Edwin van der Sar, Monchi, Fabio Paratici and Dan Ashworth. And, the latest name on the agenda at Old Trafford is Paul Mitchell, who is currently the head of recruitment at RB Leipzig.
Before joining the Bundesliga outfit, the Manchester-born Mitchell was a part of the backroom staff at Tottenham, following Mauricio Pochettino from Southampton to White Hart Lane in 2014. The 36-year-old is credited with the transfers of stalwarts such as Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld, Son Heung-min and Kieran Trippier.
His work at Tottenham and Leipzig hasn’t gone unnoticed either, and Manchester United are viewing Mitchell as a possible solution to their recruitment policy. The RB Leipzig official will likely be one of several candidates who will be part of a rigorous recruitment procedure at Old Trafford, although discussions are still ongoing over the ideal man to take over the job.
If appointed, Mitchell will be tasked with the responsibility of restructuring the scouting network at Manchester United while also reshaping the policy of the club, who have been forced to pay a premium for their targets. And, if he can unearth players as talented as Alli, it will only be the cherry on top of the cake.
Mitchell’s record so far should give confidence to Manchester United and their fans. For now though, he is one among many candidates who are likely to be eligible for the new Director of Football role at Old Trafford.
