If you can’t beat ’em, hire ’em: Chelsea raid Brighton for another transfer guru
Chelsea have raided Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion for yet more talent by poaching head of recruitment Sam Jewell.
The son of former top-flight manager Paul Jewell is the second recruitment guru to be lured from the Seagulls to Stamford Bridge after his predecessor Paul Winstanley, now Chelsea’s co-sporting director.
Since their takeover by Todd Boehly’s US consortium in summer 2022, the west London club have also signed £200m worth of players from Brighton, including British record transfer Moises Caicedo, as well as now-departed manager Graham Potter and his backroom team.
“Sam Jewell has accepted a new position at Chelsea FC,” Brighton announced on Tuesday. “Sam has now commenced a period of gardening leave. We thank him for his long service to our club.”
Jewell joined Brighton in May 2016 as recruitment manager for the men’s under-21 side, became emerging talent manager in March 2019 and succeeded Winstanley in 2022.
It represents Chelsea’s latest attempt to mine the off-field expertise at Albion, who in recent years have returned to the top division and consistently punched above their weight thanks in part to smart recruitment.
They have been praised for unearthing gems such as Ecuadorian Caicedo, Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma, Ivory Coast star Simon Adingra, Paraguay youngster Julio Enciso and Alexis Mac Allister – now at Liverpool and a World Cup winner.
Chelsea have embarked on a major backroom rebuild since Boehly’s group took over from Roman Abramovich, with RB Leipzig’s Christopher Vivell joining as technical director and Monaco’s Laurence Stewart appointed alongside Winstanley.
But around £1bn of signings in less than two years have failed to glean results and the six-time champions currently sit 10th in the Premier League, three places behind Brighton. Vivell was moved aside last summer, when former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino became Potter’s full-time successor.
The hiring of Jewell shows the biggest clubs’ eagerness to find an off-field edge and follows Manchester United’s move for Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth, himself previously of Brighton.