Paul Mitchell rules himself out of Chelsea sporting director search

Paul Mitchell was one of the first names linked with the Chelsea sporting director role, and while those rumors had cooled off a bit, they continued to percolate in the background thanks to the impact he’s had at RB Leipzig previously, and now at AS Monaco.

However, Mitchell has chosen to distance himself from the Chelsea job, claiming in an interview published today that he hasn’t even heard from us and insisting that he is very happy to continue the Monaco project anyway. While he doesn’t completely rule out the possibility (as is standard in the world of football), this about as concrete (and public) of a rejection as we’ve had so far in this search.

“That’s news to me. Honestly, working at AS Monaco is a unique opportunity. I am happy. It is always good to be linked to clubs of this caliber. It’s a compliment to everyone working here.

“But we still have work to do here and that’s what I’m focusing on every day. I have always said that as long as Dmitry Rybolovlev’s confidence and conditions are the same as when I signed two years ago, I will remain focused on the mission he has set. If that did change for whatever reason, that would change things.

“In football, you never say never, but as I said, I am 100% focused on our ambition of having a great season and continuing to develop our players.”

-Paul Mitchell; source: Nice-Matin (via GFFN)

Meanwhile, another director ruled out of contention has been the recently mentioned Rui Pedro Braz, supposedly one of four candidates on our list. But as Diario Record notes, Pedro Braz’s departure from Benfica “seems to be out of the question for now” as he is fully invested in their project.

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