Chelsea’s Paul Winstanley highly rated as co-sporting director after Tottenham inquiry

Tottenham Hotspur explored the possibility of bringing in Paul Winstanley as their sporting director last season, a move that underscores just how much the Chelsea executive’s stock has risen since he arrived at Stamford Bridge in late 2022. Winstanley, who holds the co-sporting director title at Chelsea alongside Laurence Stewart, is locked into a contract that runs through 2031. From Brighton to the Blues Winstanley’s path to Chelsea ran through Brighton & Hove Albion. He joined Chelsea in November 2022 with the title of Director of Global Talent and Transfers, arriving during the turbulent early months of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership era. By February 2, 2023, his role had been formalized. Chelsea confirmed Winstanley and Stewart as co-sporting directors, giving the pair joint oversight of the club’s entire sporting operation. That’s a broad remit: talent identification, recruitment, data analysis, the academy, and elements of the women’s team all fall under their umbrella. Under their leadership, Chelsea made some of the most consequential signings of the post-Roman Abramovich era. Cole Palmer, recruited from Manchester City, has become one of the Premier ...