Red Bull Salzburg sporting director Christoph Freund has “discovered lots of top players” during his time at the club, amidst reports that he is among a shortlist of names to fill that currently vacant position at Chelsea.
That is according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, who stated that the 45-year-old has identified several young stars who have gone on to have “big careers at big clubs”.
What’s the word?
The journalist also claims that the sporting director role is a “key position” which needs to be filled at Stamford Bridge.
Since the departure of Marina Granovskaia over the summer, Chelsea have not yet found a successor as sporting director, with new club owner Boehly placing himself in a makeshift role which saw the Blues remain active on the transfer front over the summer.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke said: “I think Freunde has good experience from his time at RB Salzburg, he discovered lots of top players who have gone on and had big careers at big clubs.
“So, it’s a key position that Chelsea really need to fill, the sporting director role, now alongside Graham Potter as Todd Boehly looks to organise things on and off the pitch at Chelsea right now.”
No-brainer for Chelsea
Recruitment is one of the most important aspects in football, which is why Boehly deserves to be applauded for his makeshift service as the club’s sporting director, during which he spent more than £250m on bringing in eight players.
Whilst that level of investment may appear scattergun at surface level, his “top talents strategy” in recruiting young, high-potential prospects ready to gradually feed into the first team over the next few years is a solid model to follow.
Nonetheless, it goes without saying that the potential appointment of an experienced sporting director in Freund, who has brought in the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Brenden Aaronson and Dominik Szoboszlai – who made Salzburg an easy £77m in future sales whilst allowing them to remain dominant in the Austrian Bundesliga – would appear to be a no-brainer.
The final selling point on Freund’s behalf can be summed up in just four words – he discovered Erling Haaland.
What more is there to say?
