Luka Modric may be joined by one of his fellow Real Madrid ‘Galactico’ teammates in owning a Championship side as reports suggest Gareth Bale is leading a group interested in buying Plymouth Argyle.
The Croatian Ballon d’Or winner became a part-owner of Swansea City earlier in the year, and promised to add investment into the South Wales side who he has played against in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur.
Bale Fronts Argyle Takeover Bid
According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Bale is the face of a takeover bid launched by a US equity firm interested in acquiring Plymouth Argyle. The Pilgrims, who were relegated back to League One following a 23rd-place finish, have long talked about finding new investment.
The news comes weeks after the revelation that one prospective investor’s negotiations had collapsed after a year of talks, essentially leaving the Devon club back at square one in their hunt for funding. Current Owner Simon Hallett has been open in his willingness to selling a portion of his shares, believing that in order for the club to reach new heights, Argyle needed a cash injection. This new bid, fronted by the Welsh legend, is believed to be targeting a full takeover of the Home Park side.
Bale, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, spent the latter stages of his career in America, playing for Major League Soccer side LAFC. Plymouth have finally found a new manager in Tom Cleverley, with the ex-Watford boss replacing Miron Muslic after he was poached by German giants Schalke.
Writers’ View
It seems that Gareth Bale is following in the footsteps of Luka Modric in investing in a Championship side. Plymouth have a very large fanbase with their remoteness compared to the rest of the Football League, and even if the season ended poorly they made their mark by knocking Liverpool out of the FA Cup. This investment has been exactly what Simon Hallett has said the club has needed for over a year now so for a new face to emerge after last month’s setback was revealed is a major boost. However, as with that prospective deal, it is not anywhere near completion so this cannot be taken for granted.
