Marina Granovskaia could still be part of Chelsea's future even without Roman Abramovich

Marina Granovskaia, dubbed the most powerful woman in football, is facing a dilemma over her Chelsea future after owner Roman Abramovich put the club up for sale.

Telegraph Sport understands that groups interested in buying Chelsea would be open to the prospect of Granovskaia staying on under their ownership if she could cut her professional ties with Abramovich, which date back 20 years.

Granovskaia is listed as a director of Chelsea, but she has essentially run the football side of the business for Abramovich and has been considered the most powerful person at the club after the Russian billionaire. She has been the only person at Stamford Bridge, where she has an office, with a regular line in to Abramovich for some years now.

Abramovich’s decision to sell the club has raised question marks over the future of Granovskaia, with many people assuming that, together with chairman Bruce Buck, she will leave with Abramovich. 

But groups interested in buying Chelsea are aware of how highly rated Granovskaia is within football and recognise that her departure could represent a significant loss and leave a massive gap to be filled.

Seeing Granovskaia leave would also represent a blow to head coach Thomas Tuchel, who has struck up a close working relationship with her that was this season highlighted by the handling of Romelu Lukaku, when the club’s record signing gave a controversial interview and was subsequently dropped for one game

Tuchel reports directly to Granovskaia and technical and performance advisor Petr Cech, who all share a strong working bond. Agents of players at Chelsea contacted Telegraph Sport within hours of our exclusive revelation that the club had been put up for sale to ask, among other things, what it