Ex-Crystal Palace owner John Textor considering shock Championship club takeover
JOHN TEXTOR is reportedly considering a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday after selling his shares in Crystal Palace to save their European dream.
The American has offloaded his 43 per cent stake to fellow billionaire and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for £190million.
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Textor made the move after Palace saw their place in next season's Europa League come under threat.
The Eagles qualified for the competition after winning the FA Cup final.
But Textor's other club, French giants Lyon, had qualified through their Ligue 1 finish.
And Uefa rules meant that Palace would have been unable to participate unless Textor walked away.
Now, he could be set for an immediate return to England with stricken Sheffield Wednesday.
The Championship club are no longer being funded by wantaway owner Dejphon Chansiri, who has so far rejected bids of around £48m.
Wednesday's former owner Milan Madaric has jetted in for showdown talks over a return to Hillsborough.
But The Star claims Textor could now come to the table as he looks to remain an investor in English football.
Like many suitors, Textor is likely to see Wednesday as sleeping giants who would be revitalised by a return to the Premier League.
It comes after another American consortium revealed plans to build a new 55,000-seater stadium should they replace Chansiri.
Adam Shaw said: 'Sheffield Wednesday are nowhere in America. We sell zero shirts and have no commercial presence there – that's got to change.
'With the World Cup in the US next year and with the individuals we have in our ownership group, we could easily become Florida's English football team.
'We should and can be way bigger than Wrexham. Ryan Reynolds would give his left leg to have what we already have at Wednesday in terms of our history and fanbase. Let's use that.
'We wouldn't do anything without consulting the fans, but we think the club should have a home where people can park more easily and have up-to-date facilities.
'If we want to create a culture that ensures we become a sustainable, competitive and successful Premier League side, then we must be proactive. Premier League clubs are all upgrading their stadiums.'
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