Chelsea have been told that Joe Shields, who is poised to leave Southampton and become their head of recruitment, will "not be missed" by the Saints.
His former club have only had Shields on their books for four months following his arrival in the summer. New Blues owner Todd Boehly is looking to appoint new faces in several senior positions after a period of change due the change of ownership.
Marina Granovskaia was among the most high profile departures. Granovskaia, who was close with Roman Abramovich, had masterminded many of their recent transfer dealings and left a notable void. Shields will now look to step into her footsteps, but has not been given a glowing review by Ralph Hasenhuttl.
The Saints boss said: "It is not a big loss for this club, I think, because his impact in six weeks was not the biggest so we are not in the situation where we fall into depression. He came in August and nearly all transfers had been done in this moment - he was not the person who brought in Romeo (Lavia) for example. For us we would like to have people here longer for sure, but if he decides not to be here for longer it is better he leaves immediately."
Shields moved to St Mary's from Manchester City, where he was head of youth recruitment. He had forged a reputation for identifying young talent and was credited with bringing through several teenage prospects, one of who was Jadon Sancho.
At Southampton Shields had looked to lower the average age of the squad, but had little time to do so. His capture of Lavia from City has reportedly impressed the top brass in west London, despite Hasenhuttl's claim that he was not responsible for the deal. TalkSport has reported that the Saints could make Shields see out his six-month notice period, which would leave Chelsea waiting for their new man.
Chelsea will also need to replace Bruce Buck and Petr Cech, who left their roles in the summer. The Blues look set to land Christopher Vivell, who will join as technical director after leaving RB Leipzig. Boehly is now looking for a sporting director with Stuart Webber at Norwich City cited as a target.
The Blues have endured several months of change, both on the pitch and in the stands. Boehly made the decision to sack Thomas Tuchel just weeks into the season, despite spending more than £200m on new arrivals. Graham Potter was captured from Brighton and Hove Albion on a five-year deal.
Boehly said: "He (Potter) is a proven coach and an innovator in the Premier League who fits our vision for the club. Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club."
