The top three bidders for Chelsea Football Club have expressed the desire to appoint Paul Mitchell as technical director.
According to a report from The Athletic, the race to sign Chelsea Football Club is nearing its conclusion, with many expecting the takeover to be completed by May. With the Ricketts family opting out, there are currently three bidders in contention to sign the club, including the consortium led by Todd Boehly, Stephen Pagliuca and British businessman Sir Martin Broughton.
The first challenge for each of these three candidates after taking over will be to fill in the vacant positions. And it appears all three of the bidders have expressed the desire to appoint Paul Mitchell for the role of technical director.
A native of Manchester, Mitchell has a bright track record of working alongside some of the best minds in football. He himself is often hailed for his management roles at clubs, having worked for clubs such as RB Leipzig, AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
During his time at Leipzig, the 40-year-old had worked closely with Ralf Rangnick. He was deeply involved in the Red Bull project, before moving to AS Monaco last summer. He is currently serving as the sporting director for the French outfit, who are sixth in the Ligue 1 table.
Mitchell has previously worked as a chief scout in England, especially at Tottenham. During his time in North London, the Englishman had earned a lot of praises for signing Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-min. Along with these three, Mitchell had unearthed gems for other clubs as well, including Nordi Mukiele for Leipzig and Nathaniel Clyne for Southampton.
The opportunity to join Chelsea as the technical director could be huge for the Manchester native. Given his vast knowledge of European football, the 40-year-old could work side by side with Thomas Tuchel to help Chelsea build a strong base for the future as existing stars such as Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta near the final phases of their respective careers.
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The three bidders’ recommendation to hire Mitchell is also indicative of his strong reputation within the footballing circles. And with Chelsea bracing themselves for a new chapter, Mitchell could be the ideal man to lead the charge, alongside Tuchel.