Todd Boehly steps down from Chelsea sporting director role

Todd Boehly has left his post as interim sporting director at Chelsea, 90min can confirm, with his new recruitment team starting to take shape.

After his acquisition of the club alongside Clearlake Capital, Boehly took temporary control of the Blues’ transfer business last summer by giving himself the title of interim sporting director while the search for a formal hire for the role continued.

Since then, Chelsea have begun to form a new team with experience from across the globe. Christopher Vivell has been appointed as technical director and will now lead the team’s transfer business alongside Paul Winstanley, who joined from Brighton as director of global talent and transfers.

The duo will soon be joined by Lawrence Stewart, who will start work at Stamford Bridge after leaving Monaco next month, and former Southampton and Manchester City recruitment chief Joe Shields, who has been appointed as co-director of recruitment and talent.

Chelsea’s plan was always for Boehly to step away from the club’s transfer dealings once a new boardroom had been put in place, and the co-owner is now satisfied that the new group can lead their business going forward.

It was Vivell and Winstanley who were pictured alongside Benoit Badiashile when he joined from Monaco earlier this month and the duo will continue to search for reinforcements for the remainder of the January window.

Chelsea have verbally agreed a deal to sign Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid, with no option to buy, and are expected to be active for the next few weeks as they look to salvage something from Boehly’s debut season.

A new right-back to help cover for the injured Reece James is among the Blues’ top priorities while there are also expected to be further reinforcements in attack after Chelsea lost both Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic to injuries.