Everton CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale is lining up her departure, according to Twitter insider The Bobble. 

The lowdown

Barrett-Baxendale features on Everton's Board of Directors, along with chairman Bill Kenwright, majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and finance director Grant Ingles.

She helped Everton secure the greenlight to build a new 52,888-seater stadium at Bramley Moore Dock. That was described as a feat 30 years in the making, and drew immense praise from supporters.

Director of football Marcel Brands was also on the board before he officially left the club by mutual consent over the weekend.

The latest

The insider says Baxendale is 'looking for alternative employment' and has been for a 'number of months' now - she even has the board's blessing.

That process is said to be ongoing, indicating that Brands may not be the only high profile figure to leave Goodison Park.

The verdict

A lot of Everton fans will be sad to see Barrett-Baxendale go, when she does eventually find a new role.

The 'brilliant' (via The Times' Henry Winter) CEO won praise from plenty of supporters after demanding an apology from Liverpool and Manchester United over 'Project Big Picture' and was also applauded after winning Business Woman of the Year in 2020.

And worryingly, BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty noted even before this news emerged that Everton's board of directors had a 'very, very lightweight appearance' post-Brands.

If the CEO does indeed follow the Dutchman in departing, some new appointments will need to be made as quickly as possible with the January window looming.

In other news, fans fumed over this managerial update.