Chelsea are set to step up interviews for their sporting director vacancy next week.
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.
These 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.
Freund was previously approached as he admitted, “Yes, it's true that Chelsea wanted me and we had talks. When such a big club asks it not only honours me and the work of Salzburg, it is of course a circumstance that entails personal considerations.
“But I've come to the conclusion I'm in the best hands with Salzburg and that a change is out of the question for me.
"I was thinking about the Chelsea director job as I have been proud of the interest shown by such a top club.”
The American pair had hoped to fill the vacancy before November's World Cup finals in Qatar, which is a huge showcase for players looking to move.
But after a potential move for RB Salzburg's Freund failed to happen, Boehly is prepared to take his time with the appointment and now plans to speak to several candidates after also being linked with Bayer Leverkusen's Tim Steidten.
The Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership recently completed a 100-day review of the club, which has resulted in a number of changes, including the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and appointment of Potter as head coach.
The owners are determined to implement a collaborative culture in which employees connect across all areas of Chelsea.
