Pep Guardiola offers seal of approval to Todd Boehly decision as Chelsea nears a new director
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is looking for a new director of recruitment as part of his ongoing overhaul of the Blues.
It comes after the American businessman began a massive turnover of key personnel in the club’s football and operational departments in order to get it working according to their ideal model.
The Clearlake-Boehly consortium, which took over in May but had to navigate a summer transfer window with a record spend of £271 million, is still in its early stages.
All of this was done under Boehly’s guise as interim sporting director as he considered further infrastructure changes.
The LA Dodgers owner has spoken publicly about several aspects of the club’s future, including the use of a multi-club model and making better use of the academy.
The most recent move is to hire a director of recruitment, a position left vacant by the departing Scott McLachlan last month.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Southampton’s Joe Shields has been approached about a possible move to Stamford Bridge to fill the position.
The Blues are thought to be nearing an agreement that could be viewed as a significant statement of intent from Boehly.
Shields was a key figure in Manchester City’s recent success, helping to build their scouting network and bringing in players like Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho during his tenure as head of youth recruitment.
He joined Southampton in the summer as part of a squad overhaul that included the signing of several City youngsters.
One of them was Romeo Lavia, who impressed so much in his short time at Southampton that the Blues reportedly offered £50 million on deadline day to sign him.
Boehly has made a move to poach the man behind the original deal.
Shields’ work has been lauded by Pep Guardiola, who stated earlier this year: “The guy [former head of youth recruitment Joe Shields] who was here is now in Southampton and brings them there. It’s an incredible experience at this early age to be ready to play almost week in, and week out. To try to do that is incredible.”
It remains to be seen whether he can have the same impact in such a short period of time at Chelsea, but the move could end up being a long-term one that pays off for Boehly.
Pep Guardiola offers seal of approval to Todd Boehly decision as Chelsea nears a new director
