Five-time Champions League winner, Gareth Bale retired in January 2023 Former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale is part of a US-based consortium's attempt to take over League One club Plymouth Argyle. Talks with the private equity firm are said to be at an early stage. Plymouth owner Simon Hallett said last month that a previous agreement to sell a stake in the club had fallen through. Bale would be following the lead of former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric, who has become part of the group that acquired control of Swansea in November 2024. The Croatia midfielder took on a minority stake in April this year with the stated aim of generating worldwide attention on the Welsh club. Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady previously became part of the new Birmingham City's ownership group, while Wrexham have generated huge amounts of revenue from publicity attached to their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Plymouth were relegated to the third tier last season after an ill-fated return to the Championship. The ambitious pre-season appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager did not work and his replacement Miron Muslic resigned at the end of the season and joined German club Schalke. Former Manchester United midfielder and Watford boss Tom Cleverley was appointed as manager on 13 June. It is not known what role, if any, five-time Champions League winner Bale will have at Plymouth should the planned takeover succeed. The former Southampton and Tottenham man, 35, retired from playing in 2023.
Bale part of US-based consortium's Plymouth takeover bid
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"Gareth Bale Joins US Consortium in Bid for Plymouth Argyle Takeover"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Gareth Bale, the five-time Champions League winner and former star of Real Madrid and the Wales national team, is reportedly part of a consortium based in the United States that is seeking to acquire League One club Plymouth Argyle. The discussions with the private equity firm involved in the takeover are currently in the early stages. This move follows a recent announcement from Plymouth's owner, Simon Hallett, who indicated that a prior agreement to sell a stake in the club had collapsed. Bale's involvement comes on the heels of other high-profile footballers entering ownership roles, such as his former teammate Luka Modric, who joined a group that took control of Swansea City in November 2024. Modric purchased a minority stake earlier this year with the goal of increasing global visibility for the Welsh club, a tactic that has proven successful for other clubs like Birmingham City, which now includes NFL legend Tom Brady in its ownership group, and Wrexham, which has thrived under the publicity generated by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Plymouth Argyle faced a challenging season that resulted in their relegation to the third tier of English football following a disappointing return to the Championship. The club's ambitions were initially buoyed by the appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager, but this strategy did not yield the desired results, leading to Rooney's departure. Miron Muslic, his successor, also left the club at the end of the season to join Schalke in Germany. In June, former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley was named the new manager of Plymouth. It remains unclear what specific role, if any, Bale would assume at the club if the takeover is successful, especially considering his recent retirement from professional football in January 2023. The potential acquisition highlights a growing trend of former athletes investing in football clubs, aiming to leverage their fame and experience to enhance the clubs' profiles and performances.
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