Gareth oFormer Real Madrid and Wales icon Gareth Bale is reportedly part of a US-based consortium currently in early-stage talks to take over League One side Plymouth Argyle.
Discussions with the private equity firm remain at a preliminary stage, with no final agreement in place. It follows confirmation from current club owner Simon Hallett last month that a prior deal to sell a stake in the club had collapsed.
Should the takeover proceed, Bale would be the latest in a growing list of footballing figures entering club ownership. His former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric joined the group that assumed control of Swansea City in November 2024 and took a minority stake earlier this year, aiming to raise the Welsh club’s international profile.
Across the Football League, celebrity involvement continues to grow. NFL legend Tom Brady is part of Birmingham City’s ownership group, while Wrexham’s rise in profile and revenue has been fuelled by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Plymouth Argyle were relegated from the Championship last season after a turbulent campaign. The club’s high-profile appointment of Wayne Rooney ahead of the season failed to deliver results, and his successor Miron Muslic resigned following relegation, later taking up a post with Schalke in Germany.
The Home Park side moved swiftly to appoint former Manchester United midfielder and ex-Watford boss Tom Cleverley as manager on 13 June.
It is not yet clear what specific role, if any, five-time Champions League winner Bale would assume at the club if the proposed takeover is successful. The former Southampton and Tottenham winger, now 35, hung up his boots in 2023.
