Report: Jets' Woody Johnson Out of Contention to Buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is out of the running to buy Premier League side Chelsea from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, according to The Athletic's Matt Slater. 

Johnson reportedly made a "big offer" to buy The Blues, The Telegraph's Matt Law reported earlier this month. He previously lived in London and is considered "very knowledgeable" about Chelsea and the Premier League, so his interest in buying the club was no surprise.

Johnson reportedly bid $2.6 billion for Chelsea, according to The Sun's Andy Halls. Los Angeles Dodgers owner Todd Boehly and the owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, are believed to be frontrunners for the club, which could sell for more than $3 billion. 

Abramovich, who bought Chelsea in 2003, was sanctioned by the UK government and forced to sell the club after being banned by the Premier League over Russia's war on Ukraine and his relationship to President Vladimir Putin. 

Chelsea is one of the most successful clubs in the EPL, having won the UEFA Champions League last year as Europe's top team, and currently ranking third in the league table.

Had Johnson won the bid for Chelsea, he would have been the fourth NFL owner to also own a Premier League club. The Glazer family, which owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owns Manchester United; Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke owns Arsenal; and San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York has a minority stake in Leeds United. 

Despite losing out on the opportunity to buy Chelsea, Johnson can easily grow his brand in England through the Jets, who were awarded international marketing rights for the country in December. 

Johnson said in December, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post:

"“We are thrilled to have been awarded the United Kingdom bid as the Jets continue to expand our global footprint. As a country with a deep and rich culture of sporting greatness, the United Kingdom has been our clear top choice throughout this process. After seeing the passion, not only for the NFL, but for the Jets during my time there as Ambassador, I knew this would be a wonderful opportunity for our organization to strengthen our roots in the UK and connect with even more new fans. After all, New York and London are sister cities.”"

If another opportunity to buy a Premier League club arises in the future, don't be surprised if Johnson submits a bid.