Gareth Bale 'tables £40m offer to buy Cardiff City' - but faces stumbling block - after Wales legend expressed desire to acquire his hometown club
Bale has been in the market to buy a club, having been linked with a move to try and take over Plymouth Argyle - but that will not materialise.
Current Cardiff owner Vincent Tan has expressed his desire to sell the club, and is open to selling to Bale. According to The Times, a bid has now been submitted, with Bale backed by US investors.
The Wales legend spoke publicly for the first time about his bid to take over the League One club — as part of a consortium — at the European premiere of F1: The Movie in London at the end of June.
Bale, 35, retired from football two years ago after a stellar career in which he won five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid and 111 caps for his country. Now, he is ready to go into ownership.
It is thought, however, that the bid will be rejected - though could well be completed soon.
'We are interested in getting Cardiff,' Bale said last month. 'It's my home club, it's where I grew up and my uncle [Chris Pike] used to play for them. To be involved with an ownership group would be a dream come true.
'It's a club close to my heart. It's where I grew up and I would love to be able to be a part of growing Cardiff and taking it to the Premier League where it belongs.
'I know how amazing the Welsh fans and Cardiff fans are. It would be amazing to try and do something together.'
'We are trying to engage with Cardiff and more news will come out on that in the future but hopefully we can get something done.'
A bid has already been rejected and the latest offer of £40m is set to be too - though both parties are open to a deal being agreed.
Bale's interest in Cardiff comes just two months after his former Real Madrid and Tottenham team-mate Luka Modric was announced as a co-owner of Welsh rivals Swansea.
Bale himself had previously been linked with a potential investment in Plymouth Argyle but that now appears to have been ruled out.
Cardiff, who were last season relegated to League One for the first time since 2003, have just appointed Brian Barry-Murphy as their new head coach.
Barry-Murphy has been hired after a disastrous season which saw them cycle through Erol Bulut, Omer Riza, and Aaron Ramsey (interim) as managers.
Divisive owner Tan, who became the majority owner in 2010 and has invested more than £200m into the club, reiterated his desire to stick around at the start of the year.
Tan, who resides in Malaysia, wrote a statement on the club's website after relegation for the first time since their promotion to the Premier League in 2018.
'We hear your words and I share your hurt and frustration,' he wrote. 'Not all decisions when it comes to the First Team have worked as I had hoped for us.
'To lose our place in the Championship is upsetting. The important thing is that we regain it at the earliest opportunity and I would like to take this chance to tell you that I am committed to getting us back.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Fake sick notes, lying wives, tantrums, intimidation and massive paydays: Exposed - the murky world of footballers trying to force a move, why clubs are powerless and how to spot a 'transfer terrorist'
It's pre-season training at a big Premier League club a year ago. The sun is shining, players are laughing as they relive antics from the beach. Coaching staff are putting the final touches to their preparations. Optimism fills the air - with one exception. Within the ranks of suntanned and toned players is what, within football, is known as a 'transfer terrorist'.
Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Louis Rees-Zammit has had ‘unbelievable' interest from rugby union teams
Rees-Zammit, 24, spent 18 months in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not feature for either franchise in a regular-season game. The former Gloucester wing, who made 32 appearances for Wales and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, said he hopes to rekindle his international career. Rees-Zammit told Sky Sports News: 'I can't name teams, but I've had a load of interest, which is unbelievable. I'm very grateful for that. 'The season starts pretty soon. So it's about finding the right team for me in terms of location, in terms of how quick I've got to get into camp, and because the season's right around the corner, so all of these things that are going to happen, are going to happen pretty sharpish. 'Me and my brother are going through negotiations and seeing teams interested, which is amazing. We should find out in the next week or so.' Rees-Zammit quit rugby union in January 2024 in order to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL via its International Player Pathway Program. He signed an active roster deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2025 season after being part of their practice squad for the previous campaign and travelled to London for the games against the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots in October. Louis Rees-Zammit made 32 appearances for Wales before opting to pursue a career in the NFL (David Davies/PA) Following his decision to return to the 15-man game, Rees-Zammit has targeted a return for Wales, who he helped to their last Six Nations triumph in 2021. He added: 'Playing for my country is the pinnacle and it's one that I absolutely love doing. 'I managed to play 32 times for my country in three, four years. I need to find a team. Once we find a team, get into good form and hopefully come Autumn Internationals, see where selection is. 'It's something that I'm really looking forward to and I really want to play for my country again.' Rees-Zammit's ambition will come as a welcome boost to recently-appointed Wales head coach Steve Tandy, who takes over a side that only ended an 18-match losing streak that lasted almost two years with a hard-fought win over Japan last month.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Keir Starmer must fight for UK drug firms
The life sciences industry is among the brightest jewels in the British economy, generating £100billion a year and employing more than 300,000 people. At its heart is the development and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, notably by AstraZeneca, which spends vast sums on research and is worth £167billion. So, if this hugely successful company were to relocate to the US, it would be a disaster both for the London Stock Exchange and the wider economy. Worryingly, this is not out of the question. AstraZeneca already sells 40 per cent of its drugs to America and, following President Donald Trump 's tariff threat, is ramping up research and production there. While there are no immediate plans to desert the UK, chief executive Pascal Soriot is said to be 'flirting' with the idea. Mr Trump's latest demand that foreign drug companies cut prices to US customers or face penalties may be an added incentive. The Left has always been highly critical of 'Big Pharma', accusing it of profiteering on the backs of NHS patients. Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour planned to create a state-owned drug manufacturer with the power to override the patents which enable firms to make profits from their research. Only last year, Sir Keir Starmer refused to help fund a new vaccine plant in Liverpool – while pouring public money into our ailing steel industry. This Government must understand that failing to nurture AstraZeneca, GSK and others would be a catastrophic mistake. And Sir Keir should realise that while they say they want to remain in the UK, they may yet change their mind. Car lenders off hook Banks and credit providers will have heaved a huge sigh of relief yesterday after the Supreme Court ruled they will not have to pay compensation to millions of motorists who bought cars on finance without being told the dealers were receiving commission on the loan. The Treasury was also delighted with the result. Had it gone the other way, damages could have been comparable to the PPI scandal, which destabilised the financial industry for more than a decade. The court decided that dealers did not have a duty to act solely for buyers and that commissions were not a form of bribery in the legal sense, as had been alleged. However, it was not a total exoneration. Court President Lord Reed also ruled that excessive commission payments were unfair and ordered one buyer who had been charged 25 per cent of the value of the car to be repaid with interest. This opens the way to further claims. Many brokers and dealers were paid behind-the-scenes commission by lenders to sign buyers up to car finance deals, a practice deemed 'unlawful' by the Court of Appeal in October last year - a decision that was successfully appealed by lenders at the Supreme Court The dealers and lenders have escaped their worst fears, but they do not come out well. They have certainly been guilty of sharp practices even if not illegal ones. The Competition and Markets Authority must now force them to clean up their act. OAPs feel the cold In September, Rachel Reeves promised she would 'put more money in pensioners' pockets'. What she didn't say is that she would take even more out. Research shows pensioner households are an average of £800 worse off after a year of Labour thanks to higher bills – mainly owing to the Chancellor's £40billion Budget tax raid. With more taxes coming down the track to fill Labour's ever-widening financial black hole, the cost of living is set to soar further. For all Ms Reeves' promises, the elderly are in for a bitter winter.
