Chelsea are reportedly close to an agreement with Christoph Freund that will see the Salzburg transfer guru take over as the new sporting director at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have been on the hunt for someone to fill the position for months, since new co-owner Todd Boehly appointed himself to the role in June.
According to The Guardian, Freund has been identified as the man they want to take the reins going forward, and an agreement on personal terms is close.
Talks are ongoing with the Austrian side, who Chelsea drew 1-1 with in the Champions League last week in Graham Potter’s first game in charge since succeeding sacked boss Thomas Tuchel.
Freund boasts an impressive CV. During his time in Salzburg, he masterminded the signings of Erling Haaland, Sadio Mane, Naby Keita and Dayot Upamecano, all of whom went on to play for major European clubs.
The Austrian has been in the position since 2015 and previously turned down offers from elsewhere, but is eager to move to London.
It was a very busy summer in the market for Chelsea, who were the biggest spenders in Europe after splashing out more than £250 million on new recruits.
Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were among the high-profile signings.
Their arrivals didn’t spark an immediate upturn in performances though, as Tuchel was sacked on 9 September following an opening day Champions League defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb.
Chelsea have picked up 10 points from their opening six Premier League games, and Potter will be hoping to turn things around quickly.
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Chelsea apparently want two new forwards. Callum Hudson-Odoi has left for Leverkusen on loan, while Crystal Palace lynchpin Wilf Zaha and AC Milan star Rafael Leao have been touted for spectacular moves. The Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang deal has been said to be “close” for days.
Elsewhere, Chelsea have had a breakthrough in signing Wesley Fofana, while one shock swoop for Harry Maguire has been rumoured.
