Chelsea announce board changes, confirm Marina Granovskaia exit

At the end of May, a consortium led by Todd Boehly were confirmed as the new owners of the Blues, officially ending the 19-year reign of Roman Abramovich.

Despite previous suggestions that they planned to be proactive in the transfer market, Chelsea are yet to make a first-team addition courtesy of a number of other factors.

One of those has been the prolonged efforts to facilitate a departure for Romelu Lukaku, who now appears in line to make a season-long loan switch to former club Inter Milan.

However, Boehly has also been negotiating changes to the board, it being revealed earlier this week that Bruce Buck would be standing down from his role as chairman.

The Premier League club have now announced that director Marina Granovskaia - an influential figure behind the scenes and somehow who has played a key role with transfers in and out of Stamford Bridge - will be departing her position.

Chelsea have added that Boehly will now take on the role of interim sporting director, assisted by Granovskaia throughout the summer transfer window while a long-term replacement is found.

Furthermore, Boehly has accompanied a club statement backing the respective first-team managers with confirmation of people who will be taking a seat on the club's board.

A statement read: "As custodians of Chelsea FC, we now begin executing our long-term vision and plan for the club, creating an outstanding experience for its passionate, loyal fans, and continuing to challenge for top honours in line with Chelsea FC's decorated history. Working together, side-by-side, we are firmly committed to winning, both on and off the pitch. For us, that effort has begun.'

Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano, co-controlling owners of Chelsea FC, and co-founders and managing partners of Clearlake Capital, added: "As the new era of the Boehly-Clearlake ownership begins, we are excited to build a championship organisation and grow Chelsea FC as a global platform. We look forward to backing Thomas Tuchel, Emma Hayes and their teams, and will provide proactive, unbending support to make Chelsea's loyal fans and our partners proud.'

As well as Boehly being confirmed as the new chairman of Chelsea, eight other figures will be taking a place on the board, including Eghbali and Feliciano.

Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and Jonathan Goldstein are all named as co-owners of Chelsea, the former of that trio a fellow co-owner of Los Angeles Dodgers with Boehly.

Barbara Charone, Lord Daniel Finkelstein OBE and James Pade complete the list and will now take on their respective positions with immediate effect.

Chelsea are now expected to push forward with their transfer plans, as much focus being placed on contract renewals as signing new players.