The structural changes that will take place in the coming years at Chelsea are likely to be far-reaching and transformative. The new ownership under Todd Boehly's consortium impacts all corners of the club, and it would not be a shock to see the Blues' whole transfer model shift within a couple of years.
One of the biggest changes that could occur is the addition of a sporting director. A position Chelsea have not had in any form since the departure of Michael Emenalo in 2017. Current director Marina Granovskaia places her front and centre of the club's transfer negotiations.
Granovskaia has proven to be a divisive figure amongst supporters. Some appreciate her ability to attract fees for unwanted players, whilst others lament her recent handling of contracts and wrangling over extra money for players Chelsea could do with letting go.
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Several names have been linked as potential new sporting directors, whilst Granovskaia's own future post-Roman Abramovich remains unclear for the long term. The most recent name linked is Atletico Madrid's, Andrea Berta. According to Sport Bild in Germany, Berta would be the top target to replace Granovskaia, who is expected to leave at the end of August.
football.london understands that the claims of an August exit date may be a little premature, especially considering this would be occurring during the summer transfer window, which would create more instability at the top of the club.
But the name of Berta, mixed in with Granovskaia's future, took me back to the summer of 2019 when the Chelsea chief orchestrated one of the best deals in the role.
With Berta in place as Atletico's sporting director after moving from the technical director role and working at AC Carpenedolo, Parma and Genoa in the past, the two clubs negotiated a fee for struggling forward Alvaro Morata. The Spaniard had failed to meet expectations at Stamford Bridge since his initial £60m switch from Real Madrid.
Midway through his second season, Morata was loaned out to Atletico in hopes of finding a resolution to a difficult problem. It was to great shock that in July 2019, it was confirmed that the striker would remain in Madrid for another season before signing permanently with the La Liga club for £58.3m, almost the entire fee Granovskaia originally agreed to pay two years earlier.
It was a summer of great sales with Eden Hazard moving to Real Madrid for a deal that could still rise to £130m, including bonuses Chelsea are still benefitting from today.
How the Morata deal reflects on Berta is up for interpretation, given the striker's overall goal record for both clubs wasn't too dissimilar.
It is hard to tell whether Granovskaia will still be in her role come 2023, but this report does offer a reminder of why she has become such a respected figure in the football industry.
