Norwich City has undergone a significant change in their scouting department, with the focus shifting from location-specific scouting to positional scouting. This change was initiated by head of recruitment Lee Dunn and former sporting director Stuart Webber, taking inspiration from Chelsea’s co-sporting director Paul Winstanley. The scouting department is now divided into three lead positional scouts, focusing on defenders, midfielders, and attackers. Kamil Nowak and Leonardo Scirpoli are two of the positional leads, and they will work alongside a group of technical scouts specializing in video and data analysis.
The positional focus in Norwich’s scouting department comes as Ben Knapper arrives as the new sporting director. Knapper is known for working within a similar positional scouting system at Arsenal, and is a strong advocate for the use of data in football. The club has a history of promoting from within for significant backroom roles, with Dunn being promoted from his previous role as head of performance and recruitment analysis. Meanwhile, former scouting chief Kieran Scott has moved to Middlesbrough as head of football, where he has played a key role in the club’s improvement, including the appointment of head coach Michael Carrick.
In light of these changes, Norwich City has made no plans to replace their previous head of recruitment, instead hiring Connor Cole and Billy Wright from Southampton and Watford respectively. This move represents the club’s attempt to revamp their scouting and recruitment strategy in response to poor recruitment records in recent seasons. The emphasis on positional scouting and the use of data reflects a modern approach to player recruitment and signifies a shift in the club’s approach to identifying and signing talent.
Overall, Norwich City’s restructuring of their scouting department signifies a commitment to innovation and modernization in their player recruitment strategy. The club’s emphasis on positional scouting and the use of data reflects a forward-thinking approach, with the aim of improving their recruitment record in future transfer windows. The new appointments of positional leads and technical scouts, along with the promotion of internal staff, show a deliberate effort to build a strong and effective scouting team under the leadership of the new sporting director.
