Brighton and Hove Albion have announced that head of recruitment Sam Jewell has accepted a new position at Chelsea.
Jewell is understood to have started an extended period of gardening leave and Albion have thanked the 34-year-old for his long service to the club.
He follows a path trodden by several former Seagulls. Since July 2022, Graham Potter, Ben Roberts, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Bruno Saltor, Robert Sanchez, Billy Reid and several others have left Albion for Chelsea.
Brighton currently sit in seventh place in the Premier League, with Chelsea in tenth. And the Seagulls, unlike Chelsea, are currently involved in European competition.
Albion said that, with immediate effect, Mike Cave, the club’s assistant technical director, supported by George Holmes, scouting and intelligence manager, will assume Jewell’s responsibilities.
Jewell, son of the former Bradford City and Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell, is expected to start at Chelsea in November after having served his notice.
He was involved in the sale of Caicedo to Chelsea last summer in a deal worth up to £115 million.
The Blues are also understood to have paid more than £60 million for Cucurella in August 2022 and £25 million for Sanchez last summer.
Meanwhile, former Albion technical director Dan Ashworth was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United, with a move to Manchester United widely believed to be on the cards.
