Man who 'discovered' Erling Haaland to become Chelsea's new sporting director
Christoph Freund - who 'discovered' a young Erling Haaland for Red Bull Salzburg - is set to join Chelsea as their new sporting director as he leaves the Austrian side
Chelsea are reportedly set to sign Christoph Freund as their new sporting director after agreeing personal terms with the Austrian.
Freund was at Stamford Bridge in the week as Red Bull Salzburg - where Freund is currently a chief - took on Chelsea in Graham Potter's first game in charge. It's believed Todd Boehly is a big fan of the Red Bull model and of Freund's data-led approach.
Red Bull's footballing empire has struggled over the past couple of seasons as Leipzig have fallen away in the Bundesliga. And their wings are set to be clipped further with the departure of Freund.
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According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have agreed a deal with Freund, and Salzburg have been notified of his imminent departure.
Salzburg are now finalising a compensation package with the Blues before Freund can make the switch to west London. Freund is revered in the Alpine nation - and he is widely credited with delivering Erling Haaland to the club for a short successful spell.
It was at Salzburg where Haaland graduated onto the worldwide stage as fans swooned over his breakthrough performance against Liverpool in the Champions League.
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It's not just Haaland that Freund convinced to up sticks and move to the Alps.
For their clash against Liverpool, Salzburg also boasted Dominik Szoboszlai - who terrorised England for Hungary over the summer - and future Reds man Takumi Minamino.
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