What transfer guru Marina Granovskaia has done since Chelsea exit including surprise return

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Marina Granovskaia was widely regarded as the undisputed 'Iron Lady' of Stamford Bridge . For nearly a decade, she served as the gatekeeper of Roman Abramovich's billions, developing a reputation as a tough negotiator and ultimately becoming known as the most powerful woman in football.

She arrived in London in 2003 as a member of Abramovich's tight circle of trusted confidants, and her influence at Chelsea gradually expanded. By 2010 she had begun working on transfers and contract negotiations, earned a seat on the club's board in 2013, and in 2014 she was promoted to the role of Chelsea's chief executive.

During the period she oversaw operations, the Blues lifted eight major trophies - among them two Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2021 . Granovskaia also personally negotiated the club's landmark £900million sponsorship agreement with Nike, highlighting both her sharp negotiating skills and strong commercial instincts.

Her reputation in the transfer market, however, is what truly cemented her legacy. She orchestrated the decisive signings of the likes of N'Golo Kante, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Thiago Silva, and also played an important part in convincing Eden Hazard to join Chelsea in 2012.

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Granovskaia later extracted a £100million transfer fee from Real Madrid when Hazard departed in 2019 - even though the Belgian had only one year remaining on his contract with the Blues at that point. That deal was one of several high-profile deals that helped turn Chelsea into one of football's most effective clubs at generating major sales.

Everything changed in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine . After sanctions were imposed on Abramovich and ownership passed to the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium - now known as BlueCo - the Russian-Canadian executive who had spent two decades working alongside Abramovich suddenly found herself being pushed out .

She left in June 2022 with a reported £35m bonus, leaving behind a legacy many supporters now remember with nostalgia as Chelsea continue to navigate a turbulent new chapter.

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For nearly two years after stepping away, Granovskaia largely vanished from the public eye. While other former Chelsea figures such as Petr Cech moved on to new ventures - including his ice hockey career - Marina maintained a very private lifestyle. That changed in early 2024 when she unexpectedly activated her Instagram profile, which had been inactive since its creation in 2017.

In contrast to the stern image often portrayed in the press, her social media activity has been surprisingly warm and personal. Soon after returning online, she addressed Chelsea supporters and said she felt "overwhelmed" by the thousands of "blue hearts" and supportive messages sent to her.

"I wasn't really sure about the Instagram thing, but I have been totally overwhelmed by the amount of messages, DMs, blue hearts, good memories that have been coming my way," she said in a video uploaded to her page. "I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone. I did not expect that, so I'm really really grateful."

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The 51-year-old has also posted pictures from holidays as well as special moments with her son, who turns 11 this month. "You are the centre of my universe and the greatest joy I have ever known," she wrote about him. "I'm so grateful that I get to spend more time with you now (even if you probably wish I was back living at Stamford bridge!)."

Although she stepped down from Chelsea's board four years ago, Granovskaia has not stayed completely away from Stamford Bridge. She was seen at the stadium last year, though noticeably sitting among the fans instead of the directors' area.

She later posted photos from the concourse and stands during Chelsea's victory against Newcastle in October 2024. "First time in with the supporters at Stamford Bridge and, no, I was not tall enough to see the goals," she joked, adding afterwards: "Wonderful to be back."

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She also appeared at the Gianluca Vialli memorial match and the Game4Ukraine charity fixture, and reports suggested she purchased regular admission tickets rather than requesting VIP access.

Even with Chelsea now under completely different ownership, Marina's loyalty to Abramovich has remained firm. In late 2024 she shared an emotional birthday message to him, noting that he had been a "big part of my life" for 25 years.

"Considering how many messages sent to this page refer to Roman, I thought it would be right to wish him a very happy birthday on here... Roman was a big part of my life from 1997 until 2022 and I know he touched the lives of many of you, so I have a feeling there will be many congratulatory messages under here... Happy Birthday Roman!"

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Granovskaia continues to live in her £5m house in Fulham - only a short distance from Stamford Bridge. Since leaving Chelsea, she has been linked with a number of clubs across Europe, including Spartak Moscow, though none of those opportunities have persuaded her to return to football so far.

However, she revealed last month that several football-related "proposals" had been presented to her, while suggesting that none had moved beyond the early stages.

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