Gareth Bale has been lined up to front an attempted takeover of League One side Plymouth Argyle, according to reports.
Bale is looking to follow in former teammate Luka Modric’s footsteps after he partnered with a rival group to buy a minority stake in Swansea City.
In May, after the club’s relegation to League One, Argyle chairman Simon Hallett confirmed they had been looking for new investment into the club since last year.
"We have been in talks with a prospective new investor in our club for over a year," he said.
Gareth Bale is reportedly in talks to front a takeover bid for Plymouth Argyle
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He confirmed the investment had been delayed, later falling through entirely, and as a result the existing shareholders had been forced to cough up more funds, with the Telegraph saying Bale is now in line to front a bid.
Hallett did add, though, that the club will have “twice” the budget than their last campaign in League One, in which they pipped Keiran Mckenna’s Ipswich to the league title.
Plymouth endured a torrid campaign last year, with The Pilgrims suffering relegation from the Championship after their 23rd-place finish.
Last month, the club announced manager Miron Muslic, who joined the club in January, had decided to leave to join Schalke in Germany.
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Miron Muslic decided to leave the club at the end of the season to join German side Schalke
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Muslic, 42, masterminded Plymouth’s historic FA Cup victory against Liverpool, while vastly improving results in the league.
Unfortunately, though, they had already left themselves with too much to do to survive.
Muslic has been replaced by former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverly following his sacking from Watford after failing to qualify for the play-offs.
Bale’s investment is not the first time sports stars have partnered with US investment groups to purchase football clubs.
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Tom Brady became a co-owner at Birmingham City, while American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas bought shares in Leeds United.
Former teammate Modric announced he had partnered with a US firm to secure a minority stake in Swansea City, while NBA superstar LeBron James has held a minority stake in Liverpool previously.
It would also not be the first business venture for the Welshman, who has grown his net worth to a reported £120million since his retirement from football in 2023.
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Tom Brady (right) and Birmingham City chairman Tom Wagner have led the club to promotion this year
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Despite earning in the region of £600,000-a-week at Real Madrid, Bale has grown his worth by opening a series of golf-inspired bars called ‘Par 59’, as well as making a “significant investment” into a local distillery.
Bale and Plymouth fans will be hoping the collaboration can bring significant additional funds off the pitch, and success on the pitch.
Brady’s Birmingham can be used as a perfect example, with the club investing significantly in players on the pitch.
The results showed, though, as they broke the record for the most amount of points in a single League One season to confirm their place back in the Championship after just one year.
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