Chelsea are set to step up interviews for their sporting director vacancy next week.
New co-owner Todd Boehly has been occupying the role on an interim basis since Petr Cech quit his role as technical and performance adviser at the end of June after the club’s £4.25billion takeover.
Chelsea originally looked at ex-Liverpool guru Michael Edwards to fill the role but he is on a sabbatical and is taking a year out. Christoph Freund has also said he has been approached but the Austrian turned down the move to west London to remain in his role with Red Bull Salzburg. Now Boehly and fellow controlling owner Behdad Eghbali are looking at other options.
