Chelsea owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have restructured the leadership group in the club’s academy.
Neil Bath, who is widely credited with building the youth system that produced Mason Mount, Reece James and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, is now the director of football development and operations.
The former academy manager is highly regarded across youth football and the owners have rewarded him with a promotion for the recent successes.
With increased funding and responsibility for Bath, he has been given a new title to continue his ‘Vision 2030’ plans to take Cobham to the next level. Bath will remain in charge of the famed youth development programme.
Jim Fraser, Bath's long-term right-hand man, has become the new head of youth development and recruitment. It will give him a particular focus on player registrations and recruitment, a role that he already informally specialised in.
Jack Francis has also been promoted, taking Bath's academy manager title, to run the younger academy age groups. Having worked for 11 years in the academy, he will oversee players between the ages of nine and 16.
His remit extends to football, player care, education and all supporting departments for youngsters before they sign their first professional deals.
The internal appointments in the academy are in stark contrast to those around the first team, with a whole new set of recruitment staff put in place.
Director of global talent and transfers Paul Winstanley has already joined from Brighton. Joe Shields and Laurence Stewart will soon arrive from Southampton and Monaco respectively after being announced as new hires by the club.
Chelsea are yet to confirm the arrival of Christopher Vivell but his appointment is more complicated due to overseas regulations after he stepped down from his technical director role at RB Leipzig.
