While it has been reported that Paul Mitchell would leave the role of AS Monaco sporting director before his contract with the club was set to conclude in 2024, the Englishman has now confirmed his upcoming departure from the role in an interview with local French newspaper Nice-Matin.
Arriving in the summer of 2020, Mitchell settled in quickly, but now believes that his mission of rebuilding the sports project at AS Monaco is fulfilled, and that while it was a very difficult decision, he made it months ago.
Looking back on what Mitchell and his team have already achieved, the Englishman recounted: “We put Monaco back where it should be in L1, we found the European Cup. We developed the Academy, we created the Elite group, we reconnected the club to its roots… It hasn’t always been easy, but I think the foundations we’ve put in place are solid.”
Indeed, 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.
Trying to cause the least possible amount of disruption with his early departure, Mitchell is searching for his successor, who he plans to accompany in their first steps in Monaco until President Dmitry Rybolovlev and himself consider that it is time to step back. When asked who might be assuming his role in the club, Mitchell said “I have a few names in mind. I’ve been around for a long time. I crossed paths with very competent people.”
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.
Reassuringly for supporters of the Principality side, Mitchell confirmed that the club continues to move in the right direction with the same working principles, and that while he may be leaving early, he does want to leave the project “on solid track.”
