Woody Johnson Sir Jim Ratcliffe Crystal Palace
(Credit: Imago/Getty Images)
Stefan Borson
Mon 30 June 2025 11:26, UK
Woody Johnson could face a similar takeover issue to Sir Jim Ratcliffe after agreeing to buy John Textor’s shares in Crystal Palace.
Textor agreed to sell his Palace stake to Johnson, who owns the New York Jets, on 23 June following weeks of speculation surrounding his future with the south London club.
The American billionaire’s Eagle Football Holdings owns a 43 per cent stake in the Premier League side.
The 59-year-old has moved to sell his Palace shares to allow them to play in the Europa League next season.
Textor’s ownership of Lyon has presented a stumbling block after the French side also qualified for the Europa League, with Uefa’s rules prohibiting clubs controlled by the same owners or directors from competing in the same European competition.
Finance expert Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Palace could have asked the Premier League for an expeditated process to ensure Johnson’s takeover is completed quicker than previous deals.
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Ratcliffe’s deal to buy an initial 27.7 per cent stake in Man United last year took around two months to receive Premier League approval.
John Textor, Crystal Palace
John Textor has agreed to sell his Crystal Palace stake to Woody Johnson (Credit: Getty Images)
Woody Johnson to receive Crystal Palace takeover approval
Borson insisted Johnson will pass the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test after he was formerly the US ambassador to the UK between 2017 and 2021.
He told Football Insider: “I think for Woody Johnson, the only issue there is the time it takes for the Premier League to agree a change of control and for him to pass the owners test.
“I don’t expect there’ll be any issue in passing the owners test.
“It’s just there was no issue with Friedkin or Ratcliffe.
“It’s just that it takes between two and three months.
“I don’t know how much it may be that they were fabulously prepared with the situation such that they gave them a whole lot of information two weeks ago before the deal even happened and asked them for an expedited process.
“Maybe they’ll be slightly quicker than the two or three months of previous deals, but I’d be surprised.
“Ratcliffe really should have been a very straightforward deal to approve and it still took two months.
“I think that’s the biggest issue that they’ve got.”
Club Stake (%)
Crystal Palace (England) 43
Botafogo (Brazil) 90
Olympique Lyonnais (France) 77.49
RWD Molenbeek (Belgium) 80
Eagle Football Holdings’ portfolio
Marc Guehi has ‘concerns’ over Liverpool move
In terms of a potential exit, Football Insider revealed on 26 June Marc Guehi isn’t rushing to make a decision on a move away from Palace amid “concerns” over joining Liverpool.
The 24-year-old centre-back will enter the final 12 months of his contract at Selhurst Park this week.
However, the England international will weigh up the move carefully, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk likely to be ahead of him in the pecking order at Anfield.
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