Breaking News :Nils Koppen to complete Celtic deal.

Breaking News :Nils Koppen to complete Celtic deal.

Rangers “formally approached” Nils Koppen to complete Celtic deal.

Sam Jewell, Nils Koppen’s replacement and Brighton Head of Recruitment,

has agreed to join Chelsea four months after being “formally approached” by Rangers.

The 34-year-old has been placed on gardening leave until the details of the transaction are worked out,

with the transfer expert set to relocate to Stamford Bridge by November.

Sam Jewell is the latest behind-the-scenes staffer to leave Brighton for Chelsea,

with the West Londoners acquiring an impressive eight non-playing staff members from the Seagulls.

The Blues are hopeful that this early investment in the club’s recruitment will pay off,

since Chelsea’s transfer strategy has been altered since its ownership by American billionaire Todd Boehly.

Brighton has pioneered date-driven analytical recruitment,

which Chelsea’s moneyspinners evidently value.

Rangers have “approached” Chelsea’s Sam Jewell

Interestingly, Rangers apparently

“formally approached” Sam Jewell before Chelsea were identified as potential bidders for the Brighton staffer.

Fabrizio Romano reported in October of last year that the Ibrox side planned to appoint Jewell their new

“Technical Director” to replace the departing Ross Wilson.

There was some misunderstanding regarding the links at the time, with local reports in Brighton appearing to dismiss suspicions of Rangers involvement.

Interestingly, the move to Chelsea comes only one week after Sam Jewell was linked with a similar transfer to Manchester United.

With the Red Devils about to sign Newcastle United’s Sporting Director Dan Ashworth in similar circumstances,

it was reported that the Englishman wanted Jewell to join his squad.

Nils Koppen makes his imprint at Ibrox.
While Chelsea’s approach for Sam Jewell draws headlines, Rangers have signed Belgian alternative Nils Koppen.

The former PSV Eindhoven scout and recruitment guru played a significant role in developing the Dutch club’s current roster,

which is soaring high in the Eredivisie and the Champions League.

In the club’s most recent round of accounts, Chairman John Bennett made it clear that enhanced player trading,

the so-called “fourth pillar” of the club’s financial model, was at the top of the Ibrox agenda.

As part of this, the club established a new Board of Recruitment,

which includes key stakeholders in the club’s transfer operations and will collaborate to identify and secure targets.

Rangers and Nils Koppen have had a successful January window thus far.

Rangers recruited Wolves striker Fabio Silva on loan until the end of the season,

while promising stars Mohamed Diomande (FC Nordsjaelland) and Oscar Cortes (RC Lens) signed loan-to-purchase agreements.