EXCLUSIVE: Man Utd and Liverpool to battle over Paul Mitchell

Jacque Talbot

• 9 Feb 2023 11:45 GMT
• 4 min read

Paul Mitchell is looking for a return to England after turning down fresh terms at Monaco, FootballTransfers is told.

The sporting director, whose contract runs until June 2024, has informed the Ligue 1 outfit that he wouldn’t be extending his current deal and that the upcoming summer transfer window will be his last. FootballTransfers understands that Mitchell is looking for a move to the Premier League, where he previously worked with Tottenham.

Last year, the noise was that he wanted to join Chelsea to link up once more with former Monaco technical director Laurence Stewart, but the Blues hired Paul Winstanley to work alongside him instead.

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Now sources in France say that the likely destination for Mitchell will be either Liverpool or Manchester United, with the Anfield club the more viable option at this point.

Mitchell, whose exit from Monaco has been in the pipeline for months. is slated to leave his current post at the end of the summer transfer window, but that could change if Liverpool make a formal approach.

The Reds will see their current director, Julian Ward, leave at the end of the season, while it’s emerged that he’s liked by Ajax and may take up the position there.

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FootballTransfers revealed last month that Mitchell had been in attendance at Anfield to watch their match with Southampton before the World Cup.

Man Utd, meanwhile, appointed John Murtough in 2021 but have admired Mitchell for a long time.

Paul Mitchell on Ten Hag

The former Wigan player, who is a Red Devils fan, spoke to Sky Sports about what the club need to succeed following their appointment of Erik ten Hag to the dugout, claiming that the side need to rediscover their identity.

“It is sometimes hard to comment when you're not in the internal and always understanding the context,” he said.

“I use that word a lot because I think context is important to measure what Manchester United's current situation is, but I think they do need to get to the point of really putting down what Manchester United needs to be in the modern game. We are a long time from the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

“Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things. You have to know that, over that period, the consistency of the decision-making will yield a good end result.

“I think we've seen that both Manchester City and Liverpool, that when you adopt that long-term strategy you can get real consistency and sustainable success. I think that's the biggest thing for Manchester United; putting down their identity of what they want to be today, but most crucially what they want to be in five years' time, and where they want to be, and what they want to look like; from everything from young players, to the style of play, to the whole culture peace in Manchester United.”

Mitchell is actively helping Monaco seek his replacement and will be heavily involved with the club over the summer.

He was previously courted by Nice, with owner Jim Ratcliffe, another Manchester United supporter, a big fan of his.

However, Mitchell wants to return to the Premier League and is liable to get his wish at the end of the summer transfer window.