Monaco chief Paul Mitchell hasn't completely shut down rumours he could be on his way to Chelsea to become their new sporting director.
Mirror Football understands the Blues are set to step up interviews for their sporting director vacancy next week, and Mitchell has been linked with the vacant position. New co-owner Todd Boehly has been occupying the role on an interim basis since Petr Cech quit his role as technical and performance adviser at the end of June after the club’s £4.25billion takeover.
Chelsea originally looked at ex-Liverpool guru Michael Edwards to fill the role but he is on a sabbatical and is taking a year out. Christoph Freund has also said he has been approached but the Austrian turned down the move to west London to remain in his role with Red Bull Salzburg.
Now Boehly and fellow controlling owner Behdad Eghbali are looking at other options, with Mitchell amongst the contenders after he had success at Tottenham and RB Leipzig. However, Mitchell has admitted the links with the vacancy is news to him, given the fact he is pleased at Monaco.
When asked about the Chelsea rumours, he told Nice-Matin : "That’s news to me. Honestly, working at AS Monaco is a unique opportunity. I am happy. It is always good to be linked to clubs of this calibre. It’s a compliment to everyone working here."
He continued: "But we still have work to do here and that’s what I’m focusing on every day. I have always said that as long as Dmitry Rybolovlev’s confidence and conditions are the same as when I signed two years ago, I will remain focused on the mission he has set. If that did change for whatever reason, that would change things."
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Asked if that meant he definitely wouldn't leave Monaco this season, he replied: "In football, you never say never, but as I said, I am 100% focused on our ambition of having a great season and continuing to develop our players."
Mitchell has been at Monaco since June 2020 after leaving Leipzig a year beforehand amid interest with Manchester United. The other potential options in the running include Spaniard Victor Orta at Leeds, former Leicester and Celtic talent scout Lee Congerton who is now with Atalanta.
There is also the well-respected Monchi at Sevilla plus Rui Pedro Braz at Benfica. Luis Campos was also of interest but is staying at PSG. Boehly wants his chosen candidate to work closely with new boss Graham Potter and has been quick to stamp his authority on the personnel at the club since completing the takeover in May.
Individuals with long associations with the club, such as Cech, Bruce Buck and Marina Granovskaia, have all left, with the American and Clearlake Capital keen to bring in their own trusted faces. Just this week head physio Thierry Laurent, who had spent 17 years with the club, was informed he was free to leave.
