John Textor, the US owner of Eagle Football Holdings, is preparing a major restructuring that will impact Crystal Palace and the wider Premier League landscape.
Textor currently controls nearly 43% of Palace, as well as French club Lyon and other clubs including Brazil’s Botafogo and Belgium’s RWD Molenbeek.
The immediate trigger to sell is UEFA’s strict rules against shared ownership of clubs competing in European competitions.
With Lyon having qualified for next season’s Europa League, Textor faces a choice: sell his stake in Palace or risk Lyon’s European ban.
NYT reports say he is set to sell Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for between £170-190 million, clearing the way for UEFA eligibility under new ownership.
This move comes amid a complex financial backdrop. Eagle Football Holdings is carrying a group debt reportedly around £880 million—a figure that reflects the scale and ambition of Textor’s multi-club business.
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However, it’s important to distinguish this from Palace’s own financial position, which is far less burdened.
The club itself is managing debts in the tens of millions, typical for Premier League teams, and is not in immediate financial distress.
Textor’s planned $1.1 billion IPO in the US aims to raise funds to reduce debt and support expansion. He has indicated a shift towards centralised leadership across his clubs, stepping back from day-to-day involvement at Lyon while maintaining strategic control.
For Premier League fans, this means a likely new era at Crystal Palace, with fresh investment and governance changes.
It also highlights the increasing complexity of football ownership in an era of global multi-club models—where financial pressures, regulatory rules, and big-business strategies all shape the future of their clubs.
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