Boris Johnson, London Mayor, Has 'High Hopes' for Potential NFL Franchise

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, stated Wednesday that he's hopeful England's capital will be able to land an NFL franchise in the near future that will take up residence at the new home of English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Johnson responded to a question on social media about the possibility of bringing the American version of football across the Atlantic.

"We are working hard on deal—high hopes for Tottenham in the next few years," he wrote.

In July, the NFL announced a 10-year deal to play a "minimum of two games per year" at Spurs' new stadium once it's completed in the summer of 2018. Commissioner Roger Goodell continued to express his pleasure about the budding fanbase in England, per NFL.com:

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With growing enthusiasm for the NFL in the United Kingdom, we are committed to hosting NFL games in world-class venues and are excited to partner with Tottenham Hotspur to play games at their future stadium. We share a vision and commitment to creating the best experience for our teams, fans and the local community.

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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy highlighted the benefits of bringing the powerful leagues together:

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We have an opportunity now to deliver one of the most unique sporting and entertainment venues in the world, bringing together the EPL and NFL for the first time. The socio-economic benefits this will bring to the area will be immense and demonstrates our commitment to the regeneration of this priority borough in London.

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The NFL has played games at Wembley Stadium in London on an annual basis since 2007. Three more are scheduled for the 2015 season.

Of course, there's a major difference between playing an occasional game in London and having a team based so far away from the other franchises. The most obvious one being the amount of travel that would be necessary across a 20-game season, counting the preseason.

NFL relocation talks have taken center stage over the past year. But most of the focus has surrounded the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Rams potentially pushing into the Los Angeles market, as noted by Vincent Frank of Forbes.

If there's a team heading to England, the most likely option is the Jacksonville Jaguars. Melissa Jacobs of the Guardian spotlighted the connection between the city and owner Shahid Khan, but London supporters of other NFL teams were skeptical about whether the idea would lead to a strong fanbase.

So while the league has expressed interest in global expansion, there are still no concrete details to suggest it's coming imminently. That said, Johnson's comments make it clear an effort is being made, so the outlook may change in the near future.