Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly will have to go back to the drawing board in his search for a sporting director after RB Salzburg chief Christoph Freund snubbed a switch to Stamford Bridge.
Boehly and the new Blues hierarchy have stepped up their search for a transfer guru after the club finalised the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach earlier this month. A number of key Chelsea personnel, including chief negotiator Marina Granovskaia, left the club following Boehly's £4.25billion takeover - meaning the LA Dodgers chief oversaw the club's summer transfer business himself.
Freund was identified as a top candidate to fill the role in recent weeks and had held talks with Chelsea, who were hopeful of luring him to the Premier League.
But Freund has now ruled out leaving Salzburg - although he admits he is flattered by the interest shown in him by the Londoners. The 45-year-old said: "Yes, it's true that Chelsea wanted me and we had talks. When such a big club asks it not only honours me and the work of Salzburg. It is of course a circumstance that entails personal considerations.
"But I've come to the conclusion I'm in the best hands with Salzburg and that a change is out of the question for me." He added: "I was thinking about the Chelsea director job as I have been proud of the interest shown by such a top club."
Salzburg CEO Stephan Reiter also confirmed Chelsea's interest, but reiterated that Freund will remain in his current position. "Christoph Freund has been doing excellent work for us for many years and only recently extended his contract until 2026,” Reiter said.
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“I can hereby confirm that he will remain sporting director of FC Red Bull Salzburg. Of course, he informed me about Chelsea’s interest in him and we exchanged ideas on a personal level and in good conversations. The fact is that he will remain our sporting director.”
A number of other high-profile candidates have been linked with the role, including former Liverpool transfer guru Michael Edwards. PSG advisor Luis Campos is also admired by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy, however, both are believed to be currently unattainable.
Monaco chief Paul Mitchell is another name who is believed to be of interest to Chelsea. After filling in as the club's interim sporting director in the summer, Boehly oversaw a £270million spending splurge alongside ex-boss Thomas Tuchel.
But the US tycoon has no intention of carrying on with the role on a permanent basis - and he is keen to make an appointment well in advance of the January transfer window to allow the new director time to flesh out plans with Potter and his recruitment specialist, Kyle Macauley.
