Tottenham’s latest high profile signing from Aston Villa could take them to the next level

Tottenham are set to appoint Aston Villa’s head of recruitment, Rob MacKenzie, as their new chief scout - he will work alongside new technical director Johan Lange, who was also snapped up by the Villans.

Spurs’ recruitment team has undergone a massive overhaul in 2023. Former chief scout, Leonardo Gabbanini, left the club in September - earlier in the year, managing director Fabio Paratici and performance director Gretar Steinsson also departed from their respective roles at the club.

MacKenzie’s time as a scout in professional football is particularly extensive. He began his career at Leicester City, where he was employed as a first-team performance analyst - after two years with the Foxes, he was promoted to the position of head of technical scouting.

He enjoyed a brief stint at Derby County as a director of recruitment - after three months with the Rams, he left the club and joined OH Leuven in the Belgian Pro League in January 2018. He held the role of head of recruitment there until August 2020 - after this, he made the jump back to England with Aston Villa, where he remains to this day [via LinkedIn].

What is Rob MacKenzie’s connection to Tottenham?

Should MacKenzie’s move to Spurs take place, it would not be the first time he has worked for the Lilywhites. From February 2015 to August 2016, he was their Head of player ID - he played a role in bringing superstars such as Kieran Trippier, Toby Alderweireld and Heung-min Son to North London.

If these acquisitions are anything to go by, MacKenzie’s return to Tottenham will be a welcomed one - moreover, as chief scout, he will also be in a more prominent and influential position than he was during his first stint at the club.