A sudden power shift at BT has triggered the exit of a key architect of its multibillion-pound football spending spree and cast new uncertainty over its bidding in a forthcoming auction of Premier League rights.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that in the days before BT announced the exit of John Petter, its consumer chief, last month, he was in detailed discussions about taking on responsibility for the company’s overall strategy and ­restructuring effort.

The telecoms giant was close to ­announcing the promotion alongside first-quarter results at the end of July. Sources said that Mr Petter, who had told the company he did not want to continue in charge of its consumer business, instead abruptly decided to leave BT.

It is understood the 47-year-old has agreed a redundancy package equivalent to more than a years’ pay. Mr Petter’s departure was a blow to boss Gavin Patterson, who remains ­under pressure after a series of costly failures including the Italian accounting scandal that triggered the biggest ever plunge in BT’s shares in January.

The two men had worked closely ­together since the Nineties at Procter & Gamble and joined BT together from the cable operator Telewest.