Paul Mitchell

Wigan Athletic

Mitchell began playing in the youth ranks of local club Manchester City before joining Football League Second Division side Wigan Athletic in 1999. On 7 December, Mitchell made his senior debut in a 2–1 victory against Burnley in the Football League Trophy First Round. After one season in the youth ranks, he was promoted to the senior squad and marked his 19th birthday with his league debut – a 3–1 win away to Wrexham. Introduced as a 64th minute substitute, Mitchell was dismissed with a straight red card after just eight minutes for a professional foul on Carlos Edwards. In March 2001, Mitchell joined Football League Third Division club Halifax Town on loan for the remainder of the season. On 24 March, he made his debut in a 3–0 win against Barnet. Mitchell made a further 10 appearances as the club narrowly avoided relegation to the National League by just two points. Mitchell returned to Wigan for the 2001–02 campaign and made 25 appearances in his first season back after breaking into the first team. He remained a regular starter as they celebrated winning the 2002–03 Second Division title with 100 points, but struggled to keep his place following promotion to the First Division. Managing just 12 appearances in his first campaign in the higher tier, Mitchell opted for a second loan spell to gain further experience. In September 2004, Mitchell joined Football League One club Swindon Town on a one-month loan deal. He made his debut in 1–0 win at…

Following Milton Keynes Dons' appointment of Karl Robinson as manager in 2010, the club created a recruitment division and named Mitchell as the club's first Head of Recruitment. He was notably responsible for the signing of former England international Alan Smith. In January 2012, Mitchell joined Championship club Southampton as Head of Recruitment. The club gained promotion to the Premier League in his first season and Mitchell began working with Mauricio Pochettino following his appointment in January 2013. He oversaw the signings of players including Nathaniel Clyne, Maya Yoshida, Paulo Gazzaniga and Steven Davis. Following Pochettino's move to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mitchell completed his switch in November 2014 to link up with the manager. He helped the club sign players such as Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld. In August 2016, reports suggested Mitchell was to leave the club "after his dream job turned into a nightmare" and he had fallen out with chairman Daniel Levy. In December, it was revealed Mitchell was serving his 16-month notice period. In February 2018, Mitchell was named Head of Recruitment and Development by Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. In his first transfer window with the club, Mitchell helped sign Matheus Cunha and Nordi Mukiele, as well as Arsenal youth prospect Emile Smith Rowe on loan. Mitchell attracted interest from several Premier League clubs throughout 2019 and was heavily linked to a move to…

Wigan Athletic

Football League Second Division: 2002–03