Town’s head of recruitment Sam Williams has been appointed academy lead scout for 17-21-year-olds back at his former club Manchester United.
News of the Red Devils’ interest in Williams, who joined the Blues in April 2022 having been working as a first-team recruitment analyst and academy scout at Old Trafford, emerged earlier in the week.
Now, according to the Manchester Evening News, Williams has been appointed to the role at the Premier League giants’ academy.
Williams's departure will come as a blow to the Blues, with CEO Mark Ashton and manager Kieran McKenna having established a new scouting department over the last couple of years, and with some success. Last January’s transfer window is widely viewed as the best in the club’s history.
Prior to his time with United - where he was on the backroom staff alongside Town manager Kieran McKenna and his assistant Martyn Pert - Williams worked at Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday scouting for their academies.
Williams is the second member of Town’s staff to move to a recruitment role with Manchester United’s youth set-up, U18s coach Callum Tongue having made a similar move in October last year.