Former Real Madrid and Wales forward Gareth Bale is reportedly preparing for a dramatic return to football, this time not on the pitch but in the boardroom, as he eyes a full acquisition of hometown club Cardiff City.
Bale, who retired from professional football in 2023 at the age of 33, is leading a consortium that has tabled a bid worth over €46 million to purchase the struggling Welsh side. The club was recently relegated from the Championship to League One, prompting current owner Vincent Tan to consider offers.
“We are interested in Cardiff. It’s my hometown club, where I grew up, and my uncle Chris Pike played for them,” Bale told The Times, confirming the group’s intent.
Meanwhile, Cardiff has already rejected an initial undisclosed bid from the group, but the five-time UEFA Champions League winner remains undeterred. According to reports, Bale’s consortium had previously shown interest in taking over Plymouth Argyle before switching focus to the Bluebirds.
“To be part of an ownership group would be a dream come true,” Bale, now 35, added. “I would love to be part of Cardiff’s growth and take them to the Premier League, where they deserve to be.”
If successful, the €46 million purchase would cost Bale less than half of the €99 million Real Madrid spent to sign him from Tottenham in 2013, a then-world record transfer fee. Bale will also join the likes of David Beckham, who became a club owner after he retired from active football.
Aside from this, Softfootball reported how Real Madrid is planning to send an offer to Bale’s boyhood club, Tottenham, for Christian Romero ahead of the new season. The World Cup winner and Tottenham defensive rock Cristian Romero has been a source of interest for the Madrid side, seeing that David Alaba is leaving the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Cristian Romero is reportedly leaning towards a move to the Santiago Bernabéu and would be eager to join Real Madrid should they submit a formal offer. Tottenham have placed a £60 million price tag on the World Cup winner, and their evaluation of Cristian Romero has not shifted, especially with Real Madrid’s interest now established.
