Journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic reports that Sam Jewell, the head of recruitment at Brighton and Hove Albion and a target for Manchester United, has accepted an offer to join Chelsea in a senior capacity.
The 34-year-old was coveted by both the Blues and Red Devils, with Dan Ashworth hoping to rejoin him at Old Trafford, but Chelsea emerged victorious in the competition for his services.
After serving a notice period, Jewell submitted his resignation to Brighton and will begin working in a worldwide capacity across the multi-club model of Chelsea’s owners in November.
At the Stamford Bridge club, he will be joining his predecessor, Paul Winstanley.
If Ashworth, the former sporting director of Newcastle United, joins Man United, they will have to go elsewhere for the recruitment whiz they wish to add to Ashworth’s squad.
Chelsea may lose Kyle Macaulay, their head recruitment analyst, to the Red Devils even if Jewell is joining them.
The 37-year-old came to the Blues from Brighton with Graham Potter, but he kept his spot when the former manager was fired.
Ashworth also hopes to reunite with the Chelsea employee at United, but it’s unclear if Newcastle will let him join the Red Devils.
In October of last year, Jewell declined the opportunity to join Scottish Premiership team Rangers as their technical director in order to stay at Brighton, but he was unable to pass down the opportunity to join Chelsea.
After joining Brighton from Swindon in May 2016 as the under-21s recruitment manager, he was promoted from emerging talent manager, albeit temporarily, when Winstanley left in November 2022 to take a position as co-sporting director at Chelsea.
He was successful in bringing in players like Moises Caicedo and Carlos Baleba.
