GARETH BALE has been lined up to front a shock takeover at Plymouth Argyle, according to reports.
Bale’s shock involvement comes after a rival group partnered with his former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric at Swansea City.
AlamyGareth Bale has been lined up to front a potential takeover at Plymouth Argyle[/caption]
Luka Modric bought a stake in Swansea City in April
According to The Telegraph, the Spurs legend is set to be the face of a US-based private equity group’s move to invest in Plymouth.
Talks are taking place behind the scenes between Argyle and the investment group, which also includes members of the American-based Storch family.
Several sources close to talks have confirmed that the Bale-fronted group is currently in talks over a bid for full control at Home Park.
Argyle chairman Simon Hallett has been looking for fresh investment in the club for at least a year.
Two years on from announcing his retirement in 2023, Bale’s net worth is believed to still be around a whopping £120 million.
Bale, 35, has no historic links to Plymouth, who were immediately relegated from the Championship upon their return last season.
But his involvement follows a trend of US groups looking to partner with famous faces to add glamour to club purchases in English football.
Modric’s arrival at Swansea came after the NFL great Tom Brady became a co-owner at Birmingham City.
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American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas also bought shares in Leeds United prior to their return to the Premier League.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney perhaps started the trend with their £1million takeover of then-National League Wrexham in 2021.
Hallett had previously agreed in principle to sell a stake in the club to new investors, but he confirmed last month a deal fell through.
Hallett said he and the club’s existing shareholders – Argyle Green and the Holliday family – will match the level of funding they had planned with the new investor for this season.
Argyle were relegated from the Championship in May, having finished second-bottom in the league.
Former Watford boss Tom Cleverley replaced Schalke-bound Miron Muslic as manager last week.
This would mark Bale’s first involvement in a club takeover.
GettyArgyle were relegated from the Championship in May, having finished 23rd in the league[/caption]
Wales‘ greatest-ever player earned an eye-watering £600,000-per-week during his time at Madrid, but also set himself up for well into retirement with a series of business moves.
He opened his bar ‘Elevens’ in Cardiff in 2017, before building on that success by combining his next pub venture with his love of golf to open Par 59 five years later.
Bale has since opened a second Par 59 venue in Bristol, while he has also made a “significant investment” in Penderyn Distillery.
This is all despite the fact that the five-time Champions League winner is completely teetotal.
The golf-lover has also invested in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL golf league, while he has had high-profile endorsement deals with the likes of Adidas, Playstation and BMW over the years.
Bale shocked fans with a shock punditry appearance during Spurs’ Europa League final victory over Manchester United last month.
The golf-lover has also invested in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL golf league
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