English club poach senior Manchester City scouting manager for head of recruitment role

Manchester City have been subjected to their latest in a string of academy and recruitment staff exits following a successful swoop from League One side Portsmouth.

It follows on from a number of high-profile changes within Manchester City’s staffing structure over the last 24 months, including exits to the likes of Southampton, Manchester United and Chelsea.

At senior boardroom level, Omar Berrada left his position within City and the wider City Group for the CEO position at Manchester United, whilst currently undertaking a period of gardening leave before formally beginning his position at Old Trafford.

Within City’s recruitment department, Joe Shields initially left the club following a hugely successful period in UK scouting to take up a head of recruitment position at now-Championship club Southampton, before swiftly moving on to Premier League giants Chelsea.

Additional exits from Manchester City have included the club’s Academy Director Jason Wilcox to Southampton, their Head of UK Scouting Stewart Thompson to Chelsea, and National Youth Scout Manager Paul McLaren to Newcastle.

Now, cccording to the information of Jack Gaughan, reporting in the latest edition of MailSport’s Man City Notebook, Manchester City’s Northern UK scouting manager Brad Wall is leaving his role at the City Football Academy to become head of recruitment at Portsmouth.

Portsmouth are currently on the verge of a return to Championship football ahead of next season, with the Fratton Park club currently leading EFL League One by five points, closely followed by Derby County and Bolton Wanderers.

Manchester City have an ongoing player relationship with the League One leaders, with Academy talent Alexander Robertson on loan at the south coast club but sustaining a serious hamstring injury that brought a disappointing end to his stay.

It remains to be seen whether that relationship at boardroom level between the two clubs will maintain heading into the 2024/25 season, should Portsmouth secure promotion to the second-tier of English football.