According to a report by L’Equipe, Paul Mitchell is set to leave AS Monaco at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window, having worked in the role of sporting director at the Principality club since 2020.

Monaco have reportedly tried multiple times to persuade the Englishman to extend his contract, but those close to Mitchell say that he believes he has reached the end of his mission with the club. Mitchell is said to have informed Monaco that he wouldn’t be extending his current contract back in December, but he will still be overseeing the upcoming summer transfer window, while finding a worthy replacement.

Mitchell has made a sizeable impact on Monaco, having brought in the likes of Axel Disasi, Caio Henrique, Vanderson, Kevin Volland, Mohamed Camara and Breel Embolo to name a few, while also having brokered huge money deals including Aurelian Tchouameni’s 120 million-euro departure to Real Madrid, and more recently Benoit Badiashile’s 40 million euro transfer to Chelsea.

A former Wigan Athletic defender, Mitchell has an eye for up and coming talent. His career in recruitment kicked-off in England, having held roles with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, and now it’s looking like a move back to the Premier League may be on the horizon for the Englishman, who is becoming increasingly more linked with the Liverpool job.

Monaco head coach Philippe Clement was questioned about Mitchell’s reported plans for departure in a press conference ahead of the game against Paris Saint-Germain and did not hold back in giving a proper response, Nice-Matin report the Belgian saying “Before facing Paris, there is always a subject that comes out in the press,” before adding “It’s always outside football, it has nothing to do with the athlete. It’s interesting… Paul’s story is his own. It is important that everyone asks him questions directly. I know what he has in mind about this.”

“The last few months, the president, Paul and I have talked a lot about the evolution of the club, the short and the long term. I was not surprised with this article, but with some things that were not right inside,” he added, referring to the report in L’Equipe.

“But that’s for Paul to talk about, not for me. I am focused on Paris. What I know is that we are working very well at the moment with the president, Paul and myself to have a very good project in the coming months and the next few years. Not just in the next few weeks,” Clement said.

The Monaco team is indeed very focussed on the fixture against Ligue 1 leaders Paris, which will be played in Stade Louis II on Saturday, February 11.

Featured image courtesy of AS Monaco, Paul Mitchell