Chelsea co-sporting director Laurence Stewart is leaving the club by mutual consent, five years before his contract is due to expire.

Stewart, who joined Chelsea in 2022 initially as a technical director after two years at Ligue 1 side Monaco, signed a new deal after the club’s Club World Cup-winning campaign in the summer of 2025.

The new contract was supposed to tie him to Chelsea until June 2031, but he is now expected to leave the club just over a year after putting pen to paper.

On a more positive note, he is understood to be leaving on excellent terms. The Telegraph described the decision as “a natural evolution that Chelsea and Stewart have been moving towards”.

Chelsea also still have three people in charge of the club’s football leadership team: sporting director Paul Winstanley, director of global recruitment Sam Jewell, and sporting director of scouting and talent Joe Shields.

These three will continue to work closely with manager Xabi Alonso and the club’s data and analytics department. It is worth noting that Alonso having the title of manager likely means he has a bigger say in Chelsea’s recruitment compared to some of his previous head-coach predecessors.

Stewart’s primary role at Chelsea was understood to be centred on budget planning, style of play, and football philosophy. He also worked closely with the data team.

Winstanley, on the other hand, is mostly responsible for acquiring transfer targets through negotiations with clubs and agents. He also plays a role in player sales, contract renewals, and the medical department.

Meanwhile, Jewell and Shields are primarily in charge of recruitment, player identification, and squad building. Jewell also operates globally across BlueCo’s multi-club model with Strasbourg, while Shields oversees academy and player development.

The Telegraph mentioned that Stewart’s departure is a reflection of the increased status of Jewell and Shields.

His exit also becomes the first significant change in the Chelsea hierarchy since Todd Boehly and Mark Walter sold their stakes to Clearlake. Since Clearlake is the majority stakeholder, co-founders Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano run the club. Winstanley, Jewell, and Shields also report to Eghbali and Feliciano.

Stewart, who is described as a popular and respected figure inside the club and highly regarded outside Stamford Bridge, is not expected to take up another job immediately. That said, given his resume at Chelsea, Monaco, and Red Bull Soccer International, it would not be a surprise if he receives offers sooner rather than later.