Paul Mitchell has been named Tottenham’s new head of recruitment and analysis, a move confirmed by Southampton where the scout has worked since 2012.
Known as the key man in Saints’ successful scouting and hiring department, Mitchell will now bring his skills to North London where he’ll look to right a troubled squad that has brought in 13 players since the sale of Gareth Bale in the summer of 2013.
“We are delighted to announce that Paul Mitchell has joined the Club as Head of Recruitment and Analysis,” Spurs wrote on their website. “A former player with Wigan Athletic and MK Dons, Paul initially took up the role of community ambassador with the Dons when he retired from playing in 2009 at the age of 27.
“Following the appointment of Karl Robinson as manager in 2010, Paul was assigned to his back room staff as Head of Recruitment, recognising his aptitude for identifying player talent. He joined Southampton in January, 2012 to manage their Scouting and Recruitment department.”
Despite losing manager Mauricio Pochettino and key players Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Rickie Lambert last summer, Saints have shocked the Premier League through an intricate rebuild driven by Mitchell. Bringing in Ronald Koeman as gaffer and Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Fraser Forster as impact players, Mitchell has turned haters into admirers as Saints have climbed to 2nd in the table.
By bringing the 33-year-old Mitchell into White Hart Lane, questions now surround the future of Spurs’s technical director Franco Baldini, who oversaw Bale’s departure and the ensuing player acquisition. Only time will tell if that move transpires, as well as whether the arrival of Mitchell will trigger further moves of Saints players, namely the highly-coveted Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez.
