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Woody Johnson is the latest NFL owner to get involved in the Premier League with the purchase of John Textor’s 43% stake in Crystal Palace, solving an issue over ownership interests Textor had in multiple clubs that qualified for a UEFA tournament.
The Jets owner has “signed a legally binding contract” to buy the 43% Crystal Palace stake that was owned by Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings Limited, according to a Monday statement. Financial terms were not disclosed, although reports are saying Johnson is paying around £190 million ($254 million). Johnson, 78, served as ambassador to the U.K. during President Donald Trump’s first term.
The agreement must still receive approval from the Premier League, but Crystal Palace said in Monday’s statement it does not “envisage any issues and look forward to welcoming Woody as a partner and director of the club.”
“We would like to go on record to thank John Textor for his contribution over the past four years and wish him every success for the future,” the club said.
Crystal Palace’s other co-owners, including Josh Harris and David Blitzer—major players in the U.S. sports space who own the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Devils through Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment LLC—are not part of the deal.
The deal solves a headache for Textor, who was at risk of running afoul of the UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, which stipulate that clubs with common shareholders cannot play in the same European competition in the same season. Both Crystal Palace of the U.K. and Olympique Lyonnais of France have qualified for the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League tournament. In addition to the stake Textor held in Crystal Palace—which he acquired in 2021—he’s been majority owner of Lyon since taking over the club in 2022.
The agreement comes after much clamor over what would happen to Textor’s stake. Reportedly, he was at odds with the UEFA and argued he wasn’t tripping up the rules because he did not have direct influence over the club. A group featuring NBA star Jimmy Butler reportedly also expressed interest in buying Textor’s Crystal Palace stake.
The transaction deepens already significant ties between the Premier League and the NFL. Johnson has owned the Jets since 2000 (when he reportedly paid $635 million for the team). At least six of the 20 Premier League teams have ownership groups that feature a direct connection to NFL ownership. Crystal Palace now has Johnson, as well as the aforementioned Harris and Blitzer (who own the Commanders); Arsenal is owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the holding company of Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke; Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Fulham FC is owned by Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan; Leeds United is owned by the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers; and Everton recently received a minority investment from a part-owner of the Houston Texans.
There are other American owners involved in the Premier League who are not connected to the NFL. For example, Fenway Sports Group, which owns pro teams including the Boston Red Sox, owns Liverpool, while a group that includes new Los Angeles Lakers owner Mark Walter owns Chelsea FC.
The UEFA takes its multi-club ownership rules seriously. Earlier this month, Irish club Drogheda United Football Club lost its appeal of a UEFA decision removing the team from its 2025–26 Conference League due to non-compliance with multi-club ownership rules (both Drogheda United and Silkeborg IF are owned by U.S. investment firm Trivela Group).
Johnson’s Crystal Palace deal comes a few years after he tried, and failed, to buy Chelsea. He reportedly placed a $2.6 billion bid that was not victorious. In 2022, he told ESPN that “not getting Chelsea is disappointing, but the numbers have gotten so enormous that on one hand, I’m disappointed and on the other hand, financially, I think it’s going to be a huge challenge.”
The UEFA declined to comment and a representative for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
