Gareth Bale-led consortium submits £40m bid to buy Cardiff City

A consortium led by Gareth Bale has submitted a £40 million bid to buy Cardiff City, according to the Times. 

Current owner Vincent Tan is open to selling the club, which has suffered a decline in fortunes since being relegated from the Premier League in 2019. 

However, Bale’s offer will be rejected by Tan, who claims to have invested more than £200m during his reign. 

Bale is in the market to buy a club, having been linked with a move to take over Plymouth Argyle. 

But despite preliminary talks with the League One outfit, a takeover is not expected as they have now turned their focus to buying Cardiff. 

Bale publicly expressed his desire to take charge of Cardiff last month, saying: “We are interested in getting Cardiff. It’s my home club, it’s where I grew up, and my uncle [Chris Pike] used to play for them.

“To be involved with an ownership group would be a dream come true.

“It is a club close to my heart, and I would love to be able to be a part of growing Cardiff and taking it to the Premier League where it belongs.

“I know how amazing the Welsh fans and Cardiff fans are. It would be amazing to try and do something together.

“We are trying to engage with Cardiff, and more news will come out on that in the future, but hopefully we can get something done.” 

Cardiff won promotion to the Premier League in 2018, but returned to the Championship after just one season.

They suffered another drop at the end of last season, finishing bottom of the table. 

The Bluebirds are preparing for life in League One, with new manager Brian Barry-Murphy tasked with securing promotion at the first attempt.