Chelsea has announced the arrival of Laurence Stewart from Monaco as technical director with a focus on global football, in what was seen as the first move towards a multi-club model.

Stewart, a former performance analyst for England during the 2014 World Cup, would arrive at Stamford Bridge upon the completion of his tenure with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Chelsea owner, Todd Boehly, has made little secret of his desire to move the Premier League outfit towards a multi-club model, akin to Manchester City and the City Football Group, who own teams in 11 countries.

Stewart who has experience with such a model through Monaco, appears to be arriving to help facilitate that vision, given the emphasis his role will have on global matters.

Boehly, in a statement with co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said: “Laurence is an important appointment as we plan to build a deep sporting team that will collaborate closely.

“He’s a world-class football leader who understands talent management, data and scouting, player development and performance.’’ (dpa/NAN)