Woody Johnson didn’t win the bid to buy Chelsea F.C. from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Johnson’s bid, which was reported to be $2.62 billion, was not accepted by Abramovich’s sales advisors, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello. The Saudi Media Group and Turkish businessman Muhsin Barak were among those who lost out on the bid as well, while the Rickett’s family – which owns the Chicago Cubs – was among the bidders who remain on the shortlist.
Johnson cited his ambassadorship to the United Kingdom from 2017-2021 during Donald Trump’s presidency as a major reason for his desire to own the club. The Jets have also played in London multiple times, and the NFL granted them international home marketing rights in the United Kingdom.
