Marina Granovskaia position at Chelsea has become shrouded in uncertainty as a result of Roman Abramovich 's decision to put the club up for sale.
The Russian-Canadian director is dubbed the most powerful women in football, first working with Abramovich in 1997 before she moved to London following his £140million takeover of the Blues six years later.
But now that Abramovich has confirmed his intention to sell the club, their transfer chief, Granovskaia, could follow him out of Stamford Bridge.
Reports claim that various parties interested in purchasing Chelsea are open to the idea of keeping the 45-year-old around if she was able to 'cut her professional ties' with Abramovich.
But many behind the scenes assume that, together with chairman Bruce Buck, she will leave west London when a takeover is completed.
Join the debate! Should Granovskaia be forced to leave Chelsea? Give us your verdict here.
The Moscow University graduate has worked for a number of Abramovich's companies over the past 25 years, meaning her association with him would likely need to be addressed during any negotiations.
But Granovskaia's strong standing within the Blues hierarchy could persuade investors to allow her to stay on in some capacity, potentially continuing to run the rule over transfers.
One source told The Telegraph : "Whenever you talk to anybody about Chelsea, Marina's name comes up and usually in glowing terms.
"The key issue will be whether she can be team Chelsea under a different owner or will always be team Roman."
Nicknamed 'The Iron Lady', Granovskaia is believed to be the only person at the club with a regular line to Abramovich and has been for some years now, while her influence at Stamford Bridge - where she has an office - has grown.
Her long-running relationship with Abramovich has resulted in her essentially being charge of the club's football operations since 2013, notably brokering the Blues' sponsorship deal with Nike that will see them receive £60m per year until 2032.
And she has been central to Chelsea's high-profile transfer business in recent years that has helped them win the Champions League and Club World Cup, leading her to be named Best Club Director in European football at the Golden Boy Awards last December.
It is added that sources do not expect Granovskaia to work for another Premier League club if she were to leave the Blues but would no doubt be offered positions thanks to her long list of global contacts.
Now more involved in the hiring and firing of managers, like the decision to sack Frank Lampard and appoint Thomas Tuchel midway through the 2020-21 season, her departure may well rock Stamford Bridge as much as Abramovich's.
