Chelsea have suffered another blow in their search for a sporting director after No 1 candidate Christoph Freund opted to stay at Red Bull Salzburg. The Austrian, 45, has confirmed that he will stick with the Austrian champions, who held Chelsea to a draw in the Champions League last week.Red Bull chief Stephan Reiter, who had claimed on Monday that he had received no official approach, added: ‘Of course Freund informed me about Chelsea and we exchanged ideas on a personal level and had good conversations but the fact is he will remain our sporting director.’ ##NAJAVA_MECA_6660120##Freund had been considered a good fit for Chelsea by Blues chiefs, who were impressed by his shrewdness, bold ideas and passion. After all, the Austrian is the one who helped recruit stars including Sadio Mane and Erling Haaland to Salzburg.’Yes, it’s true that Chelsea wanted me and we had talks,’ confirmed Freund. ‘When such a big club asks it not only honours me and the work of Salzburg, it is of course a circumstance that entails personal considerations. ‘But I’ve come to the conclusion I’m in the best hands with Salzburg and that a change is out of the question for me.’I was thinking about the Chelsea director job as I have been proud of the interest shown by such a top club.’Christoph Freund was appointed as the sporting director of Red Bull Salzburg in July 2015.Since then, Salzburg made €331.69M in transfers – 3rd best in the world, after Benfica (€535.24M) & Ajax (€399.22M), yet spent much less than both (€147.29M).Genius. Genius. Genius. pic.twitter.com/ojvBbsDknO— R.D. Football Scout (@RdScouting) September 18, 2022 As things stand, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly will keep on doing the job himself on a temporary basis, but the club will now continue conversations with alternative candidates for a sporting director.Another Chelsea target, former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, has already said he will take a break from the game after leaving Anfield at the end of last season.The Blues will now turn their attention to other names, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Tim Steidten on the list. Paul Mitchell, of Monaco, is also thought to be of interest.Chelsea hope to appoint their new sporting director, with new manager Graham Potter’s help, before the World Cup. They could also add a technical director.
