Chelsea are reportedly close to appointing Christoph Freund from Red Bull Salzburg as the new sporting director.
The Blues have been trying to find a new chief since Marina Granovskaia left earlier this year, with Todd Boehly taking charge of a major summer spending spree.
When Granovskaia left the club in June, Boehly took over as interim sports director, and the Blues co-owner just appointed Graham Potter to replace Thomas Tuchel.
Potter and Boehly are reported to have considered the appointment of a sporting director upon the former’s arrival at the club, and a number of contenders have been mentioned.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Campos has been heavily connected with the position, although the 58-year-old recently ruled out an early retirement from the Parc des Princes.
Instead, Chelsea opted for Salzburg chief Freund, and according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 45-year-old is expected to be appointed the Blues’ new sporting director.
According to Romano, Chelsea are close to reaching agreement on personal terms with Freund, and the Blues are now poised to discuss a contract with Salzburg ahead of his impending departure.
Excl: Chelsea are now set to reach agreement on personal terms with Christoph Freund as new director. Talks on with Salzburg to get it signed soon 🚨🔵 #CFC
Freund, man behind top deals like Haaland, Mané, Keita, Upamecano — ideas, data, talents. He’ll work together with Potter. pic.twitter.com/Kb2mfOnFFM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 18, 2022
Chelsea To Appoint Christoph Freund As Sporting Director?
During his time at Salzburg, Freund has negotiated deals for a slew of notable players, including Erling Braut Haaland, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita, and Dayot Upamecano.
Freund also managed the Austrian champions’ two most expensive transfers in club history this summer, as Karim Adeyemi and Brenden Aaronson left for Borussia Dortmund and Leeds United respectively.
After three years as a sports coordinator, the Austrian was promoted to sports director in 2015, and his contract with Salzburg is set to expire in the summer of 2026.
During Freund’s tenure as sporting director, Salzburg has won the Austrian Bundesliga seven times in a row and the Austrian Cup six times, achieving the double in each of the last four seasons.
Related: Christoph Freund Won’t Rule Out Taking Chelsea Job
Freund refused to rule out taking a job at Stamford Bridge after Salzburg’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Champions League earlier this month, calling the Blues a “huge club.”
“You should never rule anything out in football and Chelsea are such a huge club. But I’m sports director in Salzburg and I really enjoy it,” Freund said to Sky Austria. “Chelsea is a huge club in transition. I can’t say exactly what will happen in the next few weeks and months.”
“I’ve had exchanges with Chelsea from time to time. We spoke more often a month or two ago because they were interested in [Benjamin] Sesko,” Freund continued. “The new owners are interested in how we do it with young players, how we integrate them into the first team. But you do that again and again with other clubs – that’s it.”
Potter’s first game as Chelsea manager was a 1-1 draw with Salzburg, and the 47-year-old will make his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace on October 1 after the international break.
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