Former Borussia Dortmund chief Sebastian Kehl is no longer in the race to become Tottenham Hotspur’s new co-sporting director.
According to Sky Sports, Sebastian Kehl will not be joining Tottenham this summer. While the former Borussia Dortmund sporting director was a front-runner to take up the job at the North London club, he is no longer in the running.
The 46-year-old did hold talks with the club regarding the role, but he has decided that an agreement cannot be reached. Spurs will now look at other targets as they look to bring in a new chief in the next few weeks.
Their manager, Roberto De Zerbi, will have a say on the transfers, as well as on who their new sporting director will be, as per the report. After saving Tottenham from relegation, the Italian manager is looking to make significant changes to the squad, and recruitment expertise will be critical to De Zerbi’s overhaul.
Why are Spurs looking for a new sporting director?
Tottenham officially shifted to a co-sporting director model in October 2025, with Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici sharing the responsibility. But Paratici ended up leaving the club in January 2026 to return to Italy, and with the position currently vacant, they have been on the lookout for someone who can help them climb back to the top of English football.
The North Londoners initially looked at Dougie Freedman, who is currently working for the Saudi side Al-Diriyah, and had previously worked at Crystal Palace. However, a move did not work out, and they shifted their focus towards Sebastian Kehl, who has been available since leaving Dortmund back in March.
During his time at the Bundesliga club, the former German international played a big part in helping them sign Karim Adeyemi, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Sule and Sebastien Haller. His work helped them reach the 2024 UCL final, where they eventually lost to Real Madrid.
Given the kind of work he had put in at Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham were keen on having him in their setup. However, negotiations did not go according to plan, and Spurs have now started looking at alternatives.
