UK Edition
Red Bull to offer Paul Mitchell role as head of global football as Manchester United step up search for technical director
Red Bull are to offer Paul Mitchell a new expanded role to ward off interest from Manchester United who have been considering appointing him as their first ever technical director.
Mitchell is currently head of recruitment and development at Bundesliga club RB Leipzig and is regarded as one of the best talent-spotters in European football with a string of successes including Sadio Mane, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld. He also helped smooth Dele Alli’s move from MK Dons – Mitchell’s former club – to Tottenham Hotspur.
According to sources in Germany Red Bull are aware of United’s interest and now plan to expand Mitchell’s role and want to award him a new contract and the greater remit of being their head of global football overseeing all of their clubs.
As well as Leipzig, Red Bull, the energy-drink company, have been involved with clubs from Salzburg to New York and Brazil and have even considered making a move into England as part of their growing portfolio across the world.
Mitchell is the former head of recruitment at Southampton and Tottenham has featured prominently on the list of targets drawn up by United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward as part of a re-organisation of the Premier League club.
United accept that they need to move with the times and appoint a technical director or director of football or head of recruitment – the exact remit and role is still to be defined. They are determined to develop a more cohesive, stream-lined approach to recruitment and want an experienced figure who can work closely with the manager to head up that department.
The club wanted to make the appointment under Jose Mourinho but they believed the now former United manager would have resisted their attempts - but that change has now been accelerated with his departure last month.
Although United dispute that their recruitment since Sir Alex Ferguson retired has been scatter-gun they accept that they need a more focussed approach.
United have employed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their caretaker manager until the end of the season with Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino remaining their first-choice should they be able to agree a deal to bring in the Argentinean.
Pochettino worked closely with Mitchell at both Southampton and Spurs.
Mitchell is highly regarded in the game and Pochettino was instrumental in bringing him from Southampton to Spurs in December 2014, seven months after his appointment as head coach. Mitchell left Spurs in Aug 2016 and joined Leipzig in February last year after serving a lengthy notice period.
The 37-year-old former MK Dons midfielder is Manchester-born and it remains to be seen whether United will try and lure him away from Red Bull who appeared determined to try and keep him.