Chelsea set to hire Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell

Chelsea will hire AS Monaco’s sporting director Paul Mitchell to fill a senior position at the London club, according to the Sun.

The 41-year-old had previously worked at RB Leipzig, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. He shares a good relationship with incoming Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino.

However, the reason for Mitchell’s hiring goes beyond Pochettino. The Blues expect the director to help them sell players.

Mitchell has numerous contacts in France, England and Germany which Chelsea want to leverage to sell their unwanted stars.

Chelsea’s new owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Consortium, have spent over £600 million signing new players over the past two transfer windows.

Despite the huge outlay, Chelsea have underperformed this season.

They are 12th in the Premier League and crashed out of domestic cups early. They looked tactically bankrupt as Real Madrid knocked them out of the Champions League.

Chelsea head into the summer knowing they must trim their squad. Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could leave.

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ethan Ampadu, Dujon Sterling, Christian Pulisic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Malang Sarr, and Abdul Baba Rahman are also on the chopping block.

Ian Maatsen, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, Gabriel Slonina, Bashir Humphreys, Omari Hutchinson, David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja will need loans for game time.

Mitchell has been a target at Chelsea and Manchester United. Erik ten Hag wanted him to oversee affairs at United, but it did not happen.

The Englishman reportedly offered himself to Newcastle United, but he did not get the job.

Mitchell now looks set to join Chelsea and return to the Premier League. 

The man credited with signing Sadio Mane and Heung-min Son has the arduous task of trimming Chelsea’s massive squad.