Botafogo owner US businessman John Textor applauds ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group B football match between Brazil's Botafogo and US Seattle Sounders at the Lumen Field stadium in Seattle on June 15, 2025.placeholder image
Botafogo owner US businessman John Textor applauds ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group B football match between Brazil's Botafogo and US Seattle Sounders at the Lumen Field stadium in Seattle on June 15, 2025. | AFP via Getty Images
John Textor is considering buying Sheffield Wednesday after agreeing to sell his shares in Crystal Palace
John Textor is reportedly weighing up a move to buy crisis-stricken Championship side Sheffield Wednesday just hours after agreeing to sell his stake in Crystal Palace for £190m.
The Eagles released a statement on Monday to confirm that Robert Wood Johnson, who is the co-owner of NFL outfit the New York Jets, has signed “a legally binding contract” to purchase Textor’s stake in Palace.
It is reported by The Guardian that the deal is worth £190m for Textor’s 44.9 per cent stake at Selhurst Park. The move comes as the Eagles look to ensure they will be able to compete in the Europa League after winning the FA Cup last season.
Textor also owns Ligue 1 side Lyon and his stake in Palace, while classed a minority one, could have prevented the Selhurst Park side from competing in the Europa League due to UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules. It is said the move to sell his shares will be “looked on favourably by UEFA.”
John Textor considering move for Sheffield Wednesday
Textor appears keen to remain in English football and could now step in at Millwall, Queens Park Rangers and Charlton Athletic’s Champions rivals. The Owls have been hit with a three-window transfer embargo due to unpaid wages.
The South Yorkshire club can sign players but can only do so if they are free agents. At the end of May, it was revealed that Sheffield Wednesday players and staff had not received their monthly wages on time for the second time in three months.
The report adds that there has been ‘several approaches’ from interested parties to purchase the Owls, who are currently owned by Dejphon Chansiri. Textor is considering the Hillsborough outfit as just one possible option as he wants to find another investment in English football. He has an estimated net worth over more than £3bn.
Former Palace owner Simon Jordan said he told Textor to buy Wednesday if he left Selhurst Park. Jordan said: “I was talking to John Textor the other day, and if he comes out of Palace, I was saying to him that [Sheffield Wednesday] is the football club you should be buying if you want to buy another English club.”
John Textor was ‘reluctant’ to leave Crystal Palace
According to The Guardian, Textor was reluctant to leave Palace having put £180m into the club since buying a 40 per cent stake for around £90m four years ago. Textor and Steve Parish had a falling out in 2023 when the American upped his stake in the Eagles to just under 45 per cent.
Another report claimed the American had previously held talks with David Blitzer and Josh Harris to buy their 36 per cent shares in the club. It would have seen him assume majority control of the club and allowed him to complete a full takeover due to owning 80 per cent of stakes.
Parish owns just 10 per cent in Palace but saved them from administration in 2010 and is the executive chairman of the managing company in charge of the Eagles, essentially allowing him to retain overall control despite a low stake. He also retains the casting vote on major decisions.
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