GARETH BALE has tabled a £40million bidto buy his beloved hometown club Cardiff, according to reports.
A consortium led by Bale has been in the market to buy a football team, having already been linked with a failed
Current Cardiff owner Vincent Tan, who resides in Malaysia, is open to selling the Welsh club relegated from the to in May.
Talks are taking place behind the scenes between Cardiff and a US-based private equity group, reports The Times.
An now an official bid, worth less than HALF of the £85million paid by Real Madrid to Tottenham for Bale in 2013, has been submitted.
The legendspoke publicly for the first time about his plansto take over the club at the European premiere of F1: The Movie in London at the end of June.
Bale, 35, said: “We are interested in getting Cardiff. It’s my home club, it’s where I grew up and my uncle used to play for them.
“To be involved with an ownership group would be a dream come true.I would love to be able to be a part of growing Cardiff and taking it to the Premier League where it belongs.”;
Bale was born in the Welsh capital in 1989 and his uncle Chris Pike was a prolific striker at The Bluebirds between his nephew’s birth-year and 1993.
have reportedly already rejected an undisclosed first bid made by the Bale-led consortium.
Divisive owner Tan, who became the majority owner in 2010, has invested £200million on his way to Cardiff descending to the third tier for the first time in more than 20 years.
Thatmeans the new £40million offer is likely to be fiercely rejected, even if it indicates a level of intent by Bale’s team.
It comes just weeks after his former Madrid and Spurs team-mate bought a minority stake in local rivals Swansea City for a reported £1million.
Bale retired from football two years ago after a stellar career in which he won five Champions Leagues withMadridand 111 caps for his country.
Cardiff, who were relegated from the Championship last season after finishing rock bottom, have just appointed
I would love to take Cardiff back to the Premier League where it belongs
Gareth BaleSky Sports
Barry-Murphy has been hired after a disastrous season which saw the club cycle through Erol Bulut, Omer Riza, and (interim) as managers.
‘ greatest-ever player earned an eye-watering £600,000-per-week during his time atMadrid, but also set himself up for well into retirement with a series ofbusinessmoves.
Bale opened his bar ‘Elevens’ inCardiffin 2017, before building on that success by combining hisnextpub venture with his love ofgolfto open Par 59 five years later.
He has since opened a second Par 59 venue inBristol, while he has also made a “significant investment”; in Penderyn Distillery.
– KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
