Chelsea sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart have been nominated for Best Sporting Director at the Globe Soccer Awards.
The smart recruitment at Chelsea this summer is being recognised with the co-sporting directors pitted against chiefs of four other top European clubs — Liverpool, PSG, Barcelona, and Napoli.
Winstanley and Stewart have been nominated for the award, and though their popularity among Chelsea fans has fluctuated since the pair took up the role in 2023, it’s probably at an all-time high.
Chelsea have travelled a tumultuous road since BlueCo’s takeover, but since Enzo Maresca entered the fold, a discernible project has emerged.
While BlueCo have faced a fair amount of criticism, the masterplan is finally coming together, and the co-sporting directors deserve much of the credit.
Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart and Todd Boehly pictured with the trophy after Chelsea win the Conference League.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart deserve this nomination
There’s no denying Chelsea have gone up a level in terms of recruitment.
For a long time, it was simply about attracting the biggest names and splurging huge amounts of money to bring them to Stamford Bridge.
But in recent seasons, we have seen a different approach. An approach that is more focused on identifying young talent with huge upside. Cole Palmer and Estevao being prime examples.
Who will have the better career at Chelsea?
The latter was brought in this summer alongside the likes of Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and others.
The Brazilian arrivals have been phenomenal, while the others have begun to find their feet after a couple of months of a settling period.
Chelsea are hitting on these first-team signings more often than not these days, and both Winstanley and Stewart deserve the acknowledgment of their efforts.
Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian celebrate a Chelsea goal against Fulham in the Premier League.
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The competition for Chelsea’s sporting directors
Liverpool’s duo of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes certainly deserve credit for the sheer volume of business they got done over the summer months. But until the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak come good, it’s hard to say whether it was a success.
Napoli have made some really ambitious and daring moves. Director Giovanni Manna has been thinking outside the box, bringing in Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund from the Premier League, to great effect so far.
Rasmus Hojlund, Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay playing for Napoli
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PSG’s Luis Campos has masterminded an outstanding project in Paris. The reigning European champions have set themselves up for a bright future attracting some of the best young talent.
Kvicha Kvaratshkelia came in January to help them to a first Champions League title, and Ilya Zabarnyi and Lucas Chevalier were added to their ranks this summer. A commendable job being done by Campos.
Deco at Barcelona is the final nominee. His job description has been a bit different, figuring out how to keep the club in a strong play amid plenty of financial pressures. The Marcus Rashford loan was worked especially well.
But the Chelsea duo could well win. World champions is no small feat, and given how the new signings look, it’s been a strong year all round at the club.