CEO Makoto Uchida could very well fall on his sword—whether or not Nissan’s board is still interested in a tie-up with its larger domestic rival. Japanese carmaker Honda Motor is reportedly demanding Nissan jettison CEO Makoto Uchida as a condition for reopening acquisition talks that could create the world’s third-largest carmaker by vehicle sales.

Honda may be willing to restart negotiations that fell apart earlier this month, on the condition that Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida leaves the automaker, according to a Monday report from the Financial Times.

Uchida had been one of the strongest advocates within Nissan for a deal with Honda. However, relations between Uchida and his counterpart Toshihiro Mibe deteriorated as Honda became frustrated with the speed of Nissan’s restructuring and the depth of its financial troubles.