Former rival sporting director turn down Chelsea opportunity

Michael Edwards has turned down the opportunity to take up the Sporting Director’s role at Chelsea

According to a tweet from David Ornstein (h/t Athletic), former Liverpool Sporting Director Michael Edwards has turned down the opportunity to join Chelsea in the same role he occupied at Anfield.

Edwards left his post at Liverpool this summer after staying there for more than a decade (joined November 2011) and seeing through a transition where they become one of the best clubs doing transfer business.

It was well documented and widely reported that Chelsea were the chief admirers of him and co-owner Todd Boehly wanted him to take up the Sporting Director position. However, Edwards has informed the club that he is intending to take some time off now and not join any football club.

Trading of players and doing the right type of transfer business was part of a short-term role for Boehly at the club, as he wanted someone with experience and pedigree to take over.

But, now with Edwards turning down the opportunity and other good candidates employed with their clubs busy in the last few days of the transfer window, any new appointment is only going to be likely to happen after August.

Chelsea did look a bit short on experience after a wholesale departure of club’s top-level people who were responsible to drive the recruitment runs. In the early half of this transfer window, they missed out on a number of their top targets to other clubs, chiefly Barcelona.

But in the last few weeks, with Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella and Raheem Sterling signed, it looks like the tide is turning. They continue to be linked with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong.

While hiring a Sporting Director looks out of scope before this window’s deadline day, it is important that the club focuses on getting some of their targets in and bolster that squad, especially in the forward line.

More Chelsea News:

• Chelsea fall short with £40m bid for Everton striker Anthony Gordon
• Midfielder Ross Barkley backed to seal Celtic transfer move
• Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers denies Wesley Fofana “farewell signal” amidst Chelsea links

On the other hand, with Edwards’ experience and quality, it would be worth it to wait for him to become available again and then pouch him before anyone else does.