AS Monaco confirms departure of Liverpool-linked Sporting Director Paul Mitchell
AS Monaco officially announced (h/t mirror) the departure of Sporting Director Paul Mitchell, with links to a potential move to Liverpool. The French club released a statement (as reported by Mirror) announcing Mitchell’s exit after his successful tenure.
Mitchell’s Impressive Career in Football Recruitment
Mitchell has built a solid reputation through his previous roles at MK Dons, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and RB Leipzig. He began as the head of recruitment at MK Dons, where he oversaw the signing of Alan Smith.
In 2012, Mitchell joined Southampton and worked closely with manager Mauricio Pochettino after the club’s promotion to the Premier League. While there, the 42-year-old signed players like Maya Yoshida, Nathaniel Clyne, Sadio Mane, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. He was responsible for these signings.
Mitchell followed Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, where he played a key role in signing notable players. He supervised signings of quality players such as Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, Toby Alderweireld, and Keiren Trippier. However, his tenure at Spurs came to an end due to a falling out with the club’s owner, Daniel Levy.
The Englishman’s talent-spotting abilities attracted interest from clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. This was thanks to his knack for identifying and acquiring promising talents.
In February 2018, Mitchell made the move to the Bundesliga, joining RB Leipzig as the Head of Recruitment and Development. In this role, he oversaw the development of the youth squad and managed the entire project independently. His expertise in spotting talent helped the club secure signings like Matheus Cunha, Christopher Nkunku, and Nordi Mukiele (who is now with PSG).
At RB Leipzig, Mitchell’s responsibilities expanded as he earned a promotion to Chief Technical Director, overseeing the coordination of operations among the Red Bull clubs. In June 2020, AS Monaco appointed Mitchell as the Sporting Director of the club. During his time with Monaco, he successfully secured the services of promising talents such as Vanderson, Axel Disasi, Alexander Nubel, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Liverpool’s Search for a Sporting Director
As Liverpool looks to find a long-term replacement for their current sporting director, Jorg Schmadtke, who currently holds the position, they are considering candidates like Paul Mitchell. Mitchell’s age, reputation, and history of recruiting top talents at favorable prices align with what Liverpool’s leadership seeks.
The club aims to maintain stability in the sporting director role, as they experienced under the successful tenure of Michael Edwards, who stepped down from the position in the summer of 2022. Edwards earned praise for overseeing high-profile signings like Mohamed Salah, Alisson, and Van Dijk.
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The Reds are evaluating their options, and it’s unclear if they will actively pursue Paul Mitchell, who currently operates as a free agent. Liverpool aims to continue its successful era with a stable sporting director at the helm.
