Report: Chelsea looking to raid Bundesliga club for technical director

Chelsea looking at RB Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell

According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of signing a technical director with the Blues planning to raid German club RB Leipzig and attempt to sign their sporting director, Christopher Vivell to take up the same role at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who had assumed the role of sporting director for the time being after Marina Granovskia’s exit, has been pretty vocal about the fact that he wants to build a multi-club model like the RB and City groups.

The American tycoon in fact even tried to appoint RB Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund but the deal eventually fell through. This meant that the Blues had to turn their attention to other candidates and it looks like Vivell is one of them.

Vivell has assumed the role of the technical director at Leipzig since 2020 and is responsible for the transfers that the club makes. The German director had initially been a part of Freund’s team at Salzburg where they managed to unearth Erling Haaland.

Granovskia did an excellent job at Chelsea during her time here and was one of the main reasons that the Blues had such a successful reign under Roman Abramovich. However, the Russian negotiations had to leave the club after the new owners came in.

Boehly is apparently very keen on handing over the sporting director responsibilities before the World Cup. This will give the new person who assumes the role enough time during the event to strategize with Graham Potter and be ready for the summer transfer window.

Apart from Freund, the Blues also held talks with PSG sporting director Luis Campos but that meeting resulted in nothing. Michael Edwards, the former Liverpool director was also tipped as an option but he turned the offer down.

Vivell is not the only person associated with RB Leipzig that Chelsea are trying to steal. The Blues have apparently conducted a secret medical for French star Christopher Nkunku who also plays for the RB club and want to finalise a deal for him soon.

More Chelsea News:

• Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly to target three positions for investment next summer
• Chelsea manager Graham Potter seeks clear the air talks with Romelu Lukaku about the striker’s future
• Patrick Vieira backs Conor Gallagher to keep fighting for his spot in the Chelsea team

It is looking increasingly likely that the Blues end up signing Nkunku and it remains to be seen if Christopher Vivell also follows suit.