Chelsea snap up former Celtic recruitment chief as Xabi Alonso strengthens Stamford Bridge scouting team

Mark Lawwell has secured a return to the football recruitment market after being appointed to a senior scouting role at Chelsea.

The former Celtic head of recruitment has joined the Blues’ first-team scouting and recruitment operation, with a brief to help identify potential transfer targets for manager Xabi Alonso.

According to the Daily Record, Lawwell is already in place at Stamford Bridge, having begun work as part of the club’s talent identification team.

He brings considerable experience to the role, having spent ten years with the City Football Group (CFG), including a period overseeing scouting and recruitment.

During his time with CFG, he worked alongside Ange Postecoglou at Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos for four years before making the move to Glasgow when the Australian took charge of the Scottish champions.

At Parkhead, Lawwell was involved in identifying and bringing in several players, including Alistair Johnston, Yang Hyun-jun, Alexandro Bernabei, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki and Paulo Bernardo.

He was also instrumental in securing the signing of South Korean striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, who is now set to face his former club when Turkish heavyweights Besiktas travel to Celtic in the Europa League next Thursday.

Lawwell departed his recruitment position at Celtic following the conclusion of the January 2024 transfer window, with Nicolas Kuhn among his final notable signings.

Now, after spending around two-and-a-half years away from the game, he is back working at the highest level, joining the reigning world champions as Chelsea begin assessing potential additions ahead of the January transfer window.

Ex Celtic striker exonerated after misconduct investigation

Meanwhile, ex-Celtic star Pierre van Hooijdonk has been exonerated following an investigation into allegations of a conflict of interest surrounding his son’s exit from Eredivisie side NAC Breda.

The Dutchman had come under scrutiny over his involvement in the transfer of Sydney van Hooijdonk, who left NAC in January to join Portuguese outfit Estrela da Amadora on a free transfer.

Sydney had been the club’s leading goal scorer, with reports claiming NAC had previously turned down an offer worth £433,000 from Estrela, which also included a 10 per cent sell-on agreement.

Questions were subsequently raised over Pierre’s conduct, given his position as a technical adviser at NAC and his family connection to the player. He was alleged to have become involved in the negotiations and provided the Portuguese club with contact details, despite being expected to remain outside discussions concerning his son.

The controversy sparked anger among NAC supporters and led to an investigation by STAK, the foundation representing the club’s major shareholder. However, the review found no evidence of wrongdoing by the former Celtic man, concluding that the correct procedures had been followed despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the father-and-son relationship.

STAK chairman Martijn Vermeeren said the findings provided clarity and helped prevent misleading perceptions from continuing. He also indicated that the club could introduce a formal protocol requiring individuals to withdraw from decisions where potential conflicts of interest exist.

The investigation did, however, raise concerns about the handling of confidential information during the dispute.

In a statement, the foundation criticised the leaking of information by one of its certificate holders and the public release of private correspondence by an adviser, describing both actions as damaging to the club.

Pierre eventually resigned from his position at NAC in May, following the controversy.

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