Jets owner Robert “Woody” Johnson is preparing to make a bid to buy Chelsea FC, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Russian oligarch who owns the club, Roman Abramovich, is looking to sell for roughly £3 billion ($2.24 billion).
Abramovich’s decision to sell the club has been influenced by the pressure being applied to the United Kingdom’s government to seize assets of high-value Russians with links to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s regime after the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich has repeatedly denied he has any ties to Putin, per ESPN.
Johnson has spoken to Raine Group, and they are preparing a bid. He wouldn’t be the only NFL owner to also own a Premier League team, though. Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s firm, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, owns Arsenal F.C.; the Buccaneers’ Glazer family owns Manchester United; and 49ers owner Jed York has a minority stake in Leeds United. Former Premier League club Fulham F.C., which is set for promotion back into the Premier League, is owned by Jaguars owner Shad Khan.
Johnson served as ambassador to the U.K. from 2017 to ’21 and is a fan of the club, according to ESPN.
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