Crystal Palace are set to appoint Ben Wrigglesworth as the new Chief Scout to assist Matt Hobbs with recruitment.
Steve Parish had to partly rebuild the recruitment structure at Selhurst Park after Dougie Freedman left for Saudi Arabia in March 2025 – appointing Hobbs as the new Sporting Director back in August following his departure from Wolves.
Wrigglesworth, who worked with the Londoner at Molineux, is now on the verge of joining Crystal Palace too – according to The Athletic – but what could he bring to SE25? Let’s take a look.
Initial thoughts on Pierre Sage? 🤔
He can boast a 67.5% win ratio from 40 games at RC Lens 😍
Meet Ben Wrigglesworth – the man who helped Leicester City find N’Golo Kante
On paper, this seems like an exciting move for the Eagles.
Wrigglesworth made a name for himself in football while working at Leicester City from August 2012 to January 2016, helping the Foxes sign the legendary N’Golo Kante from Caen – while also assisting Steve Walsh in the signings of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy.
The trio played hugely significant roles as Leicester City won the 2015/16 Premier League title.
Wrigglesworth was also instrumental in Wolves signing Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes, the latter of whom was just named Player of the Season at Molineux. Cunha was also a success, moving to Manchester United for £62.5m in June 2025.
The 34-year-old was ultimately phased out at Wolves as Vitor Pereira preferred to take control of recruitment, even ignoring Wrigglesworth’s recommendation to sign Harry Wilson from Fulham last summer.
That was a costly mistake. The Wales international went on to score ten goals and provide seven assists in 36 Premier League games for the Cottagers last term, and was one of the best players of the season as Wolves ultimately finished bottom.
The Englishman has also spent time working as a scout for Arsenal in between his stints with Leicester and Wolves – having started his career as a match analyst with Notts County in 2012.
The Athletic also state that Alessandro Brito will be moving to Crystal Palace from Botafogo to lead scouting operations in South America.
Parish revealed his intention to hire more people to assist Hobbs – who wants Gomes from Wolves – with recruitment while speaking to The Athletic back in December.
The man born in Forest Hill said: “I don’t think it’s a one-person job anymore. I’m really enjoying working with (Hobbs). It’s a really good start to the post-Dougie era, a good portent, it’s going in the right direction.”
Who is your DREAM signing? ⭐️
Now, two impressive figures are set to arrive imminently in Wrigglesworth and Brito, as Crystal Palace aim to take advantage of the superb position Oliver Glasner has left the club in.
