Gareth Bale to buy Cardiff City?! Welsh superstar ready to follow in Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's footsteps by buying stake in Championship club

Bale is leading a consortium that plans to buy Cardiff, report The Athletic. While an initial approach has been rejected, Bale is expected to maintain a keen interest in purchasing the Welsh club, with contact having already been made with owner Vincent Tan through a letter of intent.

Cardiff were relegated from the Championship in 2024/25 and are preparing to play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 2003. A successful purchase by Bale could have a great impact on the club, both in financial terms and in the publicity it would generate.

Recent success stories, including Wrexham and Birmingham City have demonstrated the impact a superstar takeover can have on a lower-league club, while Bale's former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric was also recently announced as a minority investor in Cardiff's arch-rivals Swansea City.

Bale could have signed for Cardiff as a player following his departure from Los Blancos in 2022, but he has now decided to invest in his hometown club instead after opting against a move to the Bluebirds three years ago. Bale would then retire from football after six months in the MLS with Los Angeles FC.

If Bale's interest in the Bluebirds does continue, he may soon return with a second approach to purchase the Welsh giants. The club will want this matter to be resolved soon, as new manager Brian Barry-Murphy prepares to lead his side into a League One campaign where they will be expected to challenge for promotion. The club's new era will not include Aaron Ramsey, though, as the former player and interim manager has departed and looks set to join Mexican side Pumas UNAM.