Jets Owner Woody Johnson To Buy Crystal Palace Stake

Johnson agrees £190m deal for 43% of Crystal Palace
Move resolves UEFA multiclub conflict tied to former owner John Textor
Palace await Premier League and UEFA clearance to play in Europa League

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has agreed to purchase a 43% stake in Premier League side Crystal Palace from outgoing shareholder John Textor in a deal worth £190 million ($254 million), the club confirmed on Monday.

The transaction is subject to Premier League approval and Johnson passing the Owners and Directors’ Test, also known as the Fit and Proper Persons Test.

“Whilst the completion is pending approval from the Premier League and Women’s Super League, we do not envisage any issues and look forward to welcoming Woody as a partner and director of the club,” read a club statement.

“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.”

If ratified, the deal would allow Crystal Palace — winners of the 2024–25 FA Cup — to participate in next season’s UEFA Europa League without breaching multiclub ownership rules. Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings Group holds a controlling stake in French club Lyon, and UEFA regulations prevent two teams under shared ownership from competing in the same tournament unless shares are placed in a blind trust.

Textor failed to meet UEFA’s March 1 deadline to do so, putting Palace’s European participation at risk. Negotiations with UEFA are ongoing, and ESPN has reached out for comment.

Though not involved in Palace’s daily operations — which remain under chairman Steve Parish and U.S. investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer — Textor’s ownership stake posed a regulatory hurdle. The sale to Johnson resolves that issue.

Johnson, 78, served as U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021 and previously attempted to buy Chelsea following Roman Abramovich’s departure in 2022. Despite his interest in the west London club, Johnson now looks set to join Palace’s board as a co-owner.

Palace’s eligibility for the Europa League remains pending final clearance, but the ownership change marks a major step toward resolving the conflict.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.