Swiftly following news of Bruce Buck's departure from the role of Chelsea chairman, Marina Granovskaia appears set to depart Chelsea this summer. The Blues director was appointed to the Chelsea board in 2013 and awarded the Best Club Director in European Football in 2021, and few have had such a prominent role at Stamford Bridge.
Following the transfer of ownership from Roman Abramovich to the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, the Russian's place at Chelsea was long considered uncertain as the new era took hold in west London. There is a possibility that Granovskaia leaves her current role before the end of the transfer window having acted as Abramovich's representative at Chelsea since 2010, having worked for the Blues' former owner since 1997.
The 47-year-old has been the driving force in Chelsea's business dealings over the last decade, battling for the best transfer deals when provided with players on the Blues' shortlist or those who are to depart the club and agreed the club's current sponsorship deal with Nike. Her departure will certainly leave a vacuum to fill. Abramovich's trusted assistant is said to have orchestrated much of Chelsea establishing their Cobham training base.
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When Granovskaia will leave remains uncertain following Chelsea's takeover but it is likely to have some impact on transfers. The Blues have long been linked with moves for the likes of Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele, and as consequence, Granovskaia has likely played some role in any negotiations that have taken place.
While Chelsea were unsuccessful in capturing the French defender in the summer of 2021, Granovskaia is reported to have a strong connection to the 23-year-old's agents. Personal terms are even already believed to be agreed for Kounde, and the director is said to be determined to sign the Sevilla star.
However, reports suggest that Boehly has already been the figure negotiating Romelu Lukaku's move back to Inter Milan, and his place as a figurehead of the Chelsea ownership could see him as chairman and in charge of future transfer negotiations. He will likely be assisted in a number of duties by Thomas Tuchel, who has often spoken highly of his relationship with Granovskaia and Petr Cech.
In the immediate aftermath of the takeover it was suggested that Granovskaia's replacement had already been found in the form of Atletico Madrid's Andrea Berta.
While Granovskaia's reputation and relationships may be a miss in any future negotiations may be a miss, her influence should be discounted. While chairman Buck is set to leave his role at the end of June, he will remain a senior advisor for the club. Given the work Granovskaia may have already undertaken in some negotiations, it is not impossible that a similar offer could be made.
The departure of Granovskaia would just be the latest move in Chelsea's board transformation in recent months. In addition to Buck, Guy Laurence has stepped down while Eugene Tenenbaum was sanctioned, and David Barnard has been promoted to the board.
