After a failed attempt to coax Michael Edwards out of his sabbatical, Chelsea have now turned to the man who saw Fabinho as their next sporting director.
With Roman Abramovic removed from his estate earlier this year, Chelsea have found themselves in a state of flux ever since.
Under the new rule at the BlueCo 22 consortium, led by Tedd Boehly, the London club have made eight first-team signings for a reported £261m and this week presided over a manager change.
Thomas Tuchel was sacked on Wednesday, and Graham Potter opted out of his contract at Brighton on Thursday.
Chelsea currently sit sixth in the Premier League, and Potter must now find a tune from a team that includes newcomers Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly.
They are already expected to “invest aggressively” in the January transfer window, with the Times reporting a new favorite in their search for a sporting director.
Chelsea have previously approached former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, who left his Merseyside post in July, only to be rebuffed when he takes a year off.
Luis Campos is now reported to be his main target, and talks have already taken place with Paris Saint-Germain’s football adviser.
Potter is said to have “stressed the importance of the role” in his negotiations to join the Blues, and Boehly has contacted Campos with a view to taking over.
If Chelsea pull it off, it would certainly be an impressive appointment given Campos’ reputation after his time as sporting director with Monaco and Lille.
Campos joined Monaco from Real Madrid in 2013, with Fabinho among his first signings, having spotted him while operating as a scout and analyst for José Mourinho in Madrid, where the young Brazilian spent time on loan.
The Portuguese is credited with building the team that stunned Ligue 1 en route to the title in 2016/17, before leaving Monaco to take on a similar role with Lille that summer.
Nicolas Pepe, Victor Osimhen and Renato Sanches were among his most successful signings at Lille, with Pepe brought in for £8.8m from Angers in 2017 before being sold to Arsenal for £72m two years later.
Where Edwards will land next remains to be seen, but it can certainly be argued that staying out of the Premier League would be a boost for Liverpool.
