Robert Wood Johnson poised to acquire 43% interest in Crystal Palace

Robert Wood ‘Woody’ Johnson, co-owner of the New York Jets, has entered into a binding agreement to acquire Eagle Football Holding’s share in Crystal Palace, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

The transaction is pending approval from both the Premier League and the Women’s Super League, with British reports estimating the deal’s value at nearly £190 million (approximately $254.39 million).

“Although the finalisation is awaiting the necessary approvals, we do not anticipate any complications and are eager to welcome Woody as a partner and director of the club,” Palace stated.

Johnson, who previously served as the US ambassador to the United Kingdom, is poised to take on the roles of partner and director at Palace. The 78-year-old is part of the Johnson family, known for establishing the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical firm.

According to reports in the UK, Johnson is acquiring a 43% stake in Palace from Eagle Football Holdings—a multi-club operation spearheaded by American businessman John Textor, who also holds stakes in Lyon of Ligue 1 and Brazil’s Botafogo.

Having secured qualification for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup last season, Palace has proactively mitigated the risk of jeopardising their spot due to Textor’s association with Lyon—another qualifying club, as UEFA regulations prohibit clubs with shared ownership from competing in the same tournament.

“We would like to express our gratitude to John Textor for his contributions over the past four years and wish him great success moving forward,” the south London club remarked.

Textor initially acquired the stake for around £90 million in August 2021.