Joe Shields is in contention for a senior role in Chelsea’s academy setup, with the club planning a restructure after being informed that Neil Bath and Jim Fraser are set to leave their positions.
Bath, who is widely credited with creating one of the most successful youth systems in the country, became Chelsea’s academy director in 2004 and earned a promotion in November 2022 after being made director of football development and operations. He has worked closely with Fraser, who stepped into the role of head of youth development and recruitment last year.
It is understood Bath, who oversaw the programme that produced youngsters including Mason Mount, Levi Colwill, Reece James and Conor Gallagher, approached Chelsea a few months ago to talk about his future. Discussions were held over handing him fresh responsibilities, with the club’s hierarchy keen not to lose someone of Bath’s experience and expertise.
A sign of his influence was that he was put in charge of the redevelopment of Chelsea’s Cobham training ground last year. This week, however, the club were told he has decided to leave.
Chelsea are understood to respect Bath’s decision, which he has made after more than two decades at Stamford Bridge. There are no recriminations from either side and there is immense recognition for everything that Bath, who is understood not to have received an offer from another team, has given to the club. Fraser is also highly respected within the game and his departure is expected to be confirmed officially this week.
Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, have focused on bringing in the best young talent in the world since their takeover in 2022. That has led them to look at making changes to their academy and it is understood that Shields, who has impressed since joining Chelsea’s recruitment team in October 2022, is likely to be given a prominent role within it.
Shields is co-director of recruitment and talent, working within the set-up headed by the sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. He has been at Manchester City and was previously head of senior recruitment at Southampton.
Shields has quickly become a popular figure at Chelsea and is thought to have helped with the signings of Tosin Adarabioyo, Cole Palmer and Roméo Lavia thanks to his connections with City. He is also on good terms with Chelsea’s new head coach, Enzo Maresca, who has previously held roles at City. Chelsea are also understood to be appointing a new coach of their under-23s team.
