Ben Wrigglesworth Set for Crystal Palace Chief Scout Role
Crystal Palace are set to appoint Ben Wrigglesworth as their new chief scout. He arrives after four years as head of scouting at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he worked with sporting director Matt Hobbs before moving on to Palace.
Wrigglesworth's Wolves track record
Wrigglesworth joined Wolves from Arsenal in 2018 and held several recruitment jobs there, including deputy chief scout and senior recruitment lead. He was influential in the signings of Matheus Cunha and Joao Gomes, two players who became central to Wolves’ recent recruitment story.
Cunha later moved to Manchester United in a £62.5million deal, while Gomes earned a call-up to the Brazil squad and was Wolves’ player of the season in 2025. Wrigglesworth was sidelined last year by manager Vitor Pereira, and he was believed to have recommended Harry Wilson from Fulham before that suggestion was rejected.
Leicester City and Palace recruitment
Before Wolves, Wrigglesworth spent more than three years with Leicester City as a scout and played a significant role in bringing N’Golo Kante to the club. He also worked alongside Steve Walsh when Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy were recruited, a run that established his reputation across English football.
At Palace, his job is bigger than a single scouting lane. The club are also due to appoint Botafogo scout Alessandro Brito to lead scouting in South America, while chairman Steve Parish said in December, “We’re looking to bring someone else in,” and added, “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.”
Palace's wider recruitment shift
The move fits Palace’s push to broaden recruitment rather than lean on one decision-maker, with the club looking to improve its knowledge in markets where it has been less detailed. That matters as Palace prepare for Europa League football next season and continue to build depth in a squad that is not being rebuilt from scratch.
Hayden Hackney is already one of Palace’s identified targets, and the addition of Wrigglesworth points to a more layered recruitment setup around Hobbs. Palace are not under pressure to sell players below their preferred asking price, so the bigger task now is finding the right additions rather than making forced moves.
