Everton and Manchester City to complete deal for scouting and recruitment chief

Manchester City have placed their director of scouting and recruitment on gardening leave having agreed to a switch for the official to Everton this summer.

It is the latest alteration to be made at the Etihad Stadium in a summer of significant change both in terms of Pep Guardiola’s playing squad, and those working in boardroom positions elsewhere within the organisation.

Aside from the four first-team signings secured prior to the FIFA Club World Cup, Manchester City are also bracing themselves for the formal exit of Txiki Begiristain from his long-standing position of sporting director.

The former Barcelona official, who has held the director of football position at the Etihad Stadium for the last 13 seasons, will be formally replaced by Hugo Viana after the Club World Cup, with the Portuguese chief already in positioning and leading major decisions.

Manchester City have also bid farewell to Carlos Vicens, Juanma Lillo, and Inigo Dominguez from their coaching structure alongside Pep Guardiola, welcoming Pepijn Lijnders, James French, and Kolo Toure – albeit with the latter a potential temporary appointment.

Now, according to the information of The Athletic including reporting from David Ornstein, Manchester City’s director of scouting and recruitment James Smith is set to leave the club and is expected to re-join Everton.

There is said to be a healthy relationship between the two Premier League giants, and it is detailed that talks over Smith’s return to Merseyside have been ‘amicable’, with the official having now been placed on gardening leave by City.

Further reporting within the same article reveals that Manchester City’s head of junior academy/local recruitment, Trevor Todd, is set to become the club’s academy ambassador from July 1, with Nick Power replacing him.

The changes at the Etihad Stadium – aside from the arrivals of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and Marcus Bettinelli.