Michael Emenalo has stepped down as Chelsea’s technical director but could return to football with Ligue 1 giants Monaco. 

Emenalo has been a key cog in the Chelsea machine under Roman Abramovich but has seen his role increasingly under pressure in an internal power struggle between Marina Granovskaia, a key Abramovich confidante, and manager Antonio Conte.

Michael Emenalo pictured with Owner, Roman Abrahimovic [Image: Dave Shopland]

Indeed, Emenalo helped bring Conte to Stamford Bridge and has overseen transfers and youth development while the former Juventus boss won a Premier League title in his first season.

But the politics of the club and interest from elsewhere, namely Monaco, have helped convince the former Notts County defender that his time at Chelsea was up.

Michael Emenalo pictured alongside Manager, Antonio Conte [Image: Getty]

Emenalo is one of a number of candidates that the principality club are looking at to strengthen and oversee their sporting infrastructure and that includes scouting and identifying talented youth players and channeling them into the first-team.

The lack of pathway from the academy to the first team at Stamford Bridge has been a significant issue for Abramovich, but Monaco is looking to create a similar sort of money-spinning model employed by FC Porto and Benfica where they develop and make profits on the continent’s best young players.