Chelsea's co-sporting director Laurence Stewart has left the club by mutual consent. The departure signals a simplifying of the club's sporting leadership under Clearlake Capital's ownership, with no direct replacement for Stewart expected to be hired.

His exit, which has been agreed according to sources with knowledge of the situation, will leave Chelsea's sporting leadership team consisting of Paul Winstanley, co-director of recruitment Joe Shields and director of global recruitment Sam Jewell. Stewart is now seeking other opportunities after four years at Stamford Bridge.

Stewart's role and tenure

Laurence Stewart joined Chelsea in 2022 following the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital-led takeover, initially as technical director. He moved into the role of co-sporting director alongside Paul Winstanley in February 2023. Club sources clarified last year that Stewart "focused more on working with the data and analytics team regarding signings." His background included roles as technical director at Monaco, global head of scouting at Red Bull Soccer International, and head of performance analysis at Manchester City.

He and Winstanley had signed new contracts through to 2031 just last August. Alongside their work on the men's team, they led the process to recruit Sonia Bompastor as the new Chelsea women's head coach in 2024.

Context and criticism

The move comes as Chelsea prepare for a key home fixture against Bournemouth this Saturday, sitting 10th in the Premier League with seven points from five games. The team has scored 7 goals while conceding 8 in that time, a record detailed in the club's stats page. Stewart and Winstanley have been focal points for supporter criticism of the club's recruitment strategy, which has seen more than £1 billion spent on new players since the 2022 takeover. Internally, however, Stewart was well regarded by staff at the Cobham training ground.

The decision not to hire a like-for-like replacement is described as an 'evolution' of the leadership structure. It follows Clearlake Capital taking full control of the club in September and the summer appointment of Xabi Alonso as manager, who is expected to have a greater voice in football matters. The club's current form adds urgency to the need for clarity ahead of the Bournemouth match, with the team looking to climb from their mid-table position in the standings.

Stewart's departure concludes a period of significant backroom change. Chelsea's focus now shifts entirely to the pitch and improving results under Alonso, beginning with the visit of 17th-placed Bournemouth to Stamford Bridge.

This story first appeared at The Athletic