Brighton's head of recruitment Sam Jewell to join Chelsea

Brighton & Hove Albion's head of recruitment, Sam Jewell, has decided to leave the club to join Chelsea in a senior role.

The 34-year-old has officially resigned from his position and is expected to begin his new role with Chelsea's owners' multi-club model around November, after completing his notice period.

Jewell's move mirrors that of his predecessor, Paul Winstanley, who made the switch from Brighton to Chelsea 16 months ago. This transition comes as Swansea City's head of football operations, Josh Marsh, is set to join Chelsea as the loans manager, under the leadership of co-sporting directors Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, who are expanding their team.

Jewell will join a growing list of Brighton personnel who have moved to Chelsea in recent years, including Winstanley, Stewart, and Graham Potter, along with several coaches.

Notable player transfers include defender Marc Cucurella for an initial £56 million in the summer of 2022, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for around £25 million, and midfielder Moises Caicedo for £115 million a year later.

Having played a role in bringing Ecuador international Moises Caicedo to Brighton and facilitating Alexis Mac Allister's transfer from Argentinos Juniors in 2019, Jewell has been an integral part of the club's recruitment strategy.

Despite being offered the position of technical director at Rangers in October of last year, Jewell chose to remain at Brighton.

Following Jewell's departure, Mike Cave, the assistant technical director, and George Holmes, the scouting and intelligence manager, will take over his responsibilities at Brighton with immediate effect.