Tottenham Hotspur have placed head of recruitment Paul Mitchell on gardening leave, where he is free to find another job, a source close to the club has told ESPN FC.
Mitchell served six months of a 16-month notice period after resigning in August but he stopped work last month following the appointment of Steve Hitchen as chief scout.
The 35-year-old is still being paid in full by Tottenham but he is free to join another club, and Scottish outfit Rangers are reportedly considering him to be their new director of football.
The move comes as Spurs continue to restructure their recruitment department. Head of elite potential identification David Webb left the club last week, while part-time scout Ian Broomfield did not have his contract renewed in December, and head of player identification Rob Maczenzie departed in August, shortly after Mitchell's resignation.
Last month, Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed Hitchen's appointment but said he would do a "different role" to Mitchell. He will report to Spurs' football committee of Pochettino, chairman Daniel Levy and head of coaching and development John McDermott, who is in charge of every team below the first team.
In December, Pochettino said Spurs planned to appoint a direct replacement for Mitchell, and the source said that nothing had changed, although some uncertainty about the situation remains because the restructuring process, led by Hitchen, is still ongoing.