RB Leipzig Face Battle to Keep Sporting Director Paul Mitchell With Man Utd Circling

RB Leipzig are preparing to offer a new contract to sporting director Paul Mitchell after learning that Manchester United are readying an approach for the 37-year-old.

United are preparing for a revamp of the club's footballing structure this summer, which will see them hire their first ever director of football to provide a long-term strategy in the transfer market and work in tandem with a new manager.

According to The Sun, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is looking at a number of candidates but has identified Leipzig's Mitchell as his favourite to take the job.

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Mitchell moved to the Red Bull Arena a year ago. He has 18 months left on his contract but the German side are determined not to let him leave and will offer him a lucrative new deal to fend off United's interest.

Prior to joining the Bundesliga outfit, Mitchell had worked as head of recruitment at Tottenham alongside Mauricio Pochettino, the man many people expect to become United's permanent manager next summer.

Mitchell also worked with Pochettino at Southampton and helped to bring in players like Toby Alderweireld, Sadio Mane, Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren, three of whom fetched large profits when they were sold on to Liverpool.

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Former Southampton executive chairman Nicola Cortese later alerted Woodward to Mitchell's excellent work, but previous United manager Jose Mourinho refused to work with a director of football.

With United now in a period of transition under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they are proceeding full steam ahead with their restructuring plans ahead of a permanent managerial appointment at the end of the season.