Chelsea’s next signing is expected to be for a sporting director, and the Blues are keen on appointing Christoph Freund as the new technical director.

According to reports, Freund could be appointed before the World Cup kicks off in November.

Journalist Simon Phillips has hailed the likely appointment of Freund, and has said that the 47-year-old is currently one of the best in the world.

When asked whether the appointment of Freund is an exciting prospect, Phillips told GIVEMESPORT: “Definitely. I’ve seen people playing down his name purely because they’ve never heard of him.

“But, if you do your research, you can see that he’s got a proven history of finding top talents. Not only Erling Haaland because I could sit here and name 20 very good players that he’s been responsible for finding.

“He’s very well respected in the business and highly regarded. I think he’s known for being one of the best up-and-coming sporting directors in the business right now.”