Gareth Bale leading consortium that has takeover bid rejected to buy relegated EFL club – and it’s not Plymouth

Gareth Bale is leading a consortium aiming to buy Cardiff City, potentially enhancing the club's financial backing and performance. This move could influence punters to consider betting on Cardiff's success in the upcoming League One campaign, especially given their recent struggles in the Championship.

Gareth Bale is reportedly fronting a consortium who have approached to buy Cardiff City.

Reports earlier in the week suggested that the Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid legend was leading a takeover of Plymouth Argyle. Bale was said to be working with a United States-based private equity firm to complete a deal for the Pilgrims.

However, The Athletic have now reported that it’s Cardiff who the 35-year-old is working to purchase.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan was sent a letter of intent by the Bale-led consortium in May. It is said to have included financial information and although it was rejected, Bale remains interested in his hometown club.

The report also claims that he is not in the running to buy Plymouth. Bale is looking to get back into football following his early retirement at the age of 33 in January 2023.

Should he invest in Cardiff, he would be the latest high-profile name to attach themselves to an ownership group of a club in the EFL. Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney completed their £2 million takeover of Wrexham, who were in the National League at the time, in 2021.

Cardiff finished rock-bottom of the Championship and two points behind Plymouth at the end of the 2024/25 campaign. Meanwhile, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady became a minority owner of Birmingham in August 2023.

Bale was born and raised in Cardiff before joining Southampton’s academy. Fellow NFL icon JJ Watt is another that has invested his money, doing so at Burnley in May 2023. American golfers Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth bought shares in Leeds.

Next season, Cardiff will be playing in the third tier of English football for the first time since 2003. The Bluebirds were winless in their final eight games, with their last victory coming against Blackburn Rovers on March 15.

Cardiff ended the season with Welsh legend Aaron Ramsey in charge after Omer Riza was sacked in April. Ramsey was a candidate for the permanent role, but is set to sign for Club Universidad Nacional in Mexico to continue his playing career.

On Monday, Cardiff announced that they have appointed Brian Barry-Murphy as their new head coach. The Irishman has joined after a previous first-team coach stint with Leicester City. Charlton boss Nathan Jones was also linked with the vacancy, but it’s Barry-Murphy who will steer their League One campaign.

Talksport