June 24 – Former Wales captain Gareth Bale has declared his intention to buy his hometown club, Cardiff City, in a move that would make the former Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur star the latest high-profile name to step into football ownership.
Bale is part of a consortium looking to take control of the South Wales club and described the potential deal as a “dream come true”. His group has already made an initial approach to current owner Vincent Tan, which was rejected, but the Champions League winner says he remains committed to the bid.
“We are interested in getting Cardiff,” Bale told Sky Sports. “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. It’s a club close to my heart.”
Bale’s ambition is to return Cardiff to the Premier League, six years on from their last top-flight campaign. “I would love to be a part of growing Cardiff and taking it to the Premier League where it belongs,” he added. “Hopefully we can get something done.”
Cardiff’s fall has been steep. After finishing bottom of the Championship in the 2024-25 season, the 2008 FA Cup finalists are now set to play in League One for the first time in over two decades.
New manager Brian Barry-Murphy, the former Manchester City academy boss, has been tasked with stabilising the club after a dismal campaign that saw interim head coach Aaron Ramsey unable to prevent the drop.
Should the deal progress, Bale would join a growing list of global sports stars and entertainers investing in British football clubs. Former team-mate Luka Modric recently became a co-owner of rivals Swansea City, while NFL icons Tom Brady and JJ Watt have taken minority stakes in Birmingham City and Burnley, respectively.
American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas invested in Leeds United before their Premier League return, and Wrexham’s Hollywood-backed revival under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continues to be the benchmark for cross-Atlantic football ownership.
The potential of Bale’s arrival as an owner brings a uniquely Welsh twist to the ongoing trend — not only a native of the capital but also one of the greatest footballers the nation has produced.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1750796440labto1750796440ofdlr1750796440owedi1750796440sni@g1750796440niwe.1750796440yrrah1750796440