Ex-Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia is alleged to have 'cut out' football agent Saif Rubie of 10 per cent fee after Kurt Zouma's £29.1m West Ham move - as duo's court case continues amid threatening email claims

Bosses at Chelsea 'cut out' a football agent who had masterminded the sale of Kurt Zouma to West Ham, a court heard.

Saif Rubie, 45, sent an email to Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, 49, threatening to send in enforcers to secure his 10 per cent cut of the defender's £29million transfer fee, it is claimed.

The agent claims he had brokered the deal on the Hammers captain and just wanted what he was owed, Southwark crown court has heard.

Rubie's defence barrister Matthew Radstone asked Ms Granovskaia: 'How much did West Ham pay for Kurt Zouma?

She replied: 'The deal that was struck between the clubs was £25m, that was the deal I ended up finalising directly with the officials of West Ham.

'Then, if I may elaborate, the club was allowed to officially speak with the player about his terms.

'Then the club (West Ham) reached out to me again directly and via their intermediaries, that they were struggling to agree a deal with the player because of their wage structure and his demands and they asked us if we would facilitate that agreement by accepting an additional fee.

'I have spoken to our legal team that if that has to be done, it can be done.

'The fee that was paid was around £29.1m then £4.1 was paid to the player as termination fee, Chelsea received just under £25m.'

Mr Radstone continued: 'The transfer fee was £29.1m, close to 34m euros?

'Yes, I think it was less than that (in euros) but yes,' replied Ms Granovskaia.

Mr Radstone asked: 'Did you tell the defendant?'

'No I did not because it was not my understanding of the deal and due to the structure if it,' she replied.

Mr Radstone added: 'If Chelsea received more than 30m euros, he would be entitled to commissions that is what you said?

'That there would be a conversation to be had,' Ms Granovskaia replied.

Mr Radstone said: 'You used the word you in the email: "We will not be paying you any commission unless the number is above 30m, hope this clarifies our position, best regards, Marina."

'You accept that is what is being said?'

'Yes,' she agreed.

'But he has never been paid?

'Yes,' Ms Granovskaia replied.

'Everyone close to the deal knew exactly how the extra money came about,' she said.

Mr Radstone asked: 'Was there not a non-disclosure agreement regarding the transfer fee?

'When you say that people would have known, how would they have known?'

Ms Granovskaia replied: 'Because I think I also mentioned a few minutes ago that this request came from agents.'

Mr Radstone explained that Rubie was the first person to bring the possibility of a transfer of Zouma from Chelsea to West Ham.

He continued: 'It goes further than that doesn't it?

'He doesn't only bring you the prospect, he provides an offer to you, he is the heartbeat of what is going on, is that a fair assessment?

Ms Granovskaia replied: 'This is the nature of the transfer window, everyone is speaking to everyone and passing on information.'

Mr Radstone asked: 'Without him at that stage, there is no deal, would you agree?'

'Not quite,' she responded.

Mr Radstone asked: 'You said earlier on that Mr Rubie was not acting for Chelsea during the transaction, what I would like to understand is, if that was right, why did you say in the email, you would be prepared to pay money?'

She replied: 'Obviously you make commercial decisions during the transfer window.

'Also in my mind, it was that he delivered that and not just that it was paid.'

Mr Radstone asked: 'You can choose to pay whoever has done a significant enough service for you?'

'Yes,' Ms Granovskaia replied.

Mr Radstone continued: 'So are you saying he was working for West Ham?'

'He was approaching me on behalf of West Ham,' she replied.

Jurors heard there was no intermediary from Chelsea on the deal sheet.

Ms Granovskaia explained: 'Because in my mind, we did not use an intermediary, I did it directly and with West Ham's representatives.'

Mr Radstone asked: 'Are you suggesting he was not an intermediary in the deal?'

'He was not an intermediary on behalf of the club,' she replied.

'Had there been a deal then he would have been on the sheet.'

'You cut him out,' Mr Radstone said.

Ms Granovskia replied: 'No, that is not the way I see it, the way the transfer window works, you get a lot of agents and intermediaries trying to make deals and you make a judgement.'

Mr Radstone asked: 'The time period between the deal being completed and the email sent with the offer by Mr Rubie - he sends the offer on 29 July 2021, the evidence you gave was that there was a long time between that offer being made and the deal being completed between Chelsea and West Ham.

'In reality we are talking about three weeks?'

Ms Granovskia replied: 'That is a very long time in the transfer window, a lot happens in three weeks in the transfer window.'

Rubie is accused of sending Ms Granovskaia, who left her role at Chelsea after Todd Boehly purchased the club, an electronic communication with intent to cause distress or anxiety.

This email was sent on 22 May 2022 just a month before Roman Abramovich was forced to sell the club after Russia invaded Ukraine, Southwark Crown Court heard.

'If Chelsea don't pay it then that debt will be on you to pay.

'I am done trying to be nice to you.

Asked earlier how she felt about the email Ms Granovskia said: 'Very uncomfortable would be an understatement. I felt threatened, physically threatened because of the language that was used.'

Rubie, from Fulham, west London, denies one charge under the Malicious Communications Act.

The trial continues.