Chelsea boss Graham Potter is pleased with the recruitment team being assembled.

Joe Shields is joining from Southampton as co-director of recruitment and talent, and Laurence Stewart will be joining in a new position as technical director to focus on football globally.

"Essentially it's a collaborative approach," Potter explained. "My job as head coach is to support that process but it's the early stages. I think we're still appointing and getting everything organised but I'm really excited.

"It's a key part of how we can be successful because you can have all the resources in the world but if they're not aligned, you can waste a lot of money in this league. So that's an important part of our future and how we want to try to develop."

The first opportunity for player recruitment will be at the start of the new year and that is a prospect Potter also shares his thoughts on.

"You have to look at January as a complicated window. As we get closer to it we will sit down and discuss strategy and options. With my job as head coach, we've just had nine matches in October and six away ones, so the focus is on preparing the team and helping the players that are here.

"Thankfully, we've got a good recruitment department emerging so that they can focus on that and my job can be to help the team but also support that area as well."