Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and club transfer chief, formerly working for Brighton, were spotted at the Amex Stadium on March 14 watching the Seagulls' clash vs AS Roma.
The ground owners secured a narrow 1 - 0 victory, however, they were eliminated from the Europa League with a 4-1 aggregate scoreline making the door for the Serie A side to advance.
Pochettino and his colleague's presence at the stadium immediately sparked speculation of a scouting mission, considering Winstanley's current role as the director of global talent and transfers at Stamford Bridge.
In response to the discussions, the Argentine manager has now spoken out: "No, no, it’s not my job to scout. No, we wanted to go because in three weeks, we play Brighton in Brighton.
“And of course it was a good opportunity to watch live football, because we don’t have time. It was good to watch Roma, Brighton also.
“I think it was good to watch a game where you are only a spectator and you enjoy the game rather than to suffer when you are on the touchline."
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