Gareth Bale in fresh Cardiff City takeover claim as he launches new private investment fund
The winger made an unsuccessful attempt to buy his hometown club last year
Gareth Bale says he's still not ruled out a move to buy hometown club Cardiff City after launching a new sports investment fund.
The fund, named Juggernaut Diversified Sports, will aim to invest in teams and leagues across men's and women's sport, with a particularly keen focus on North America and Europe.
Speaking to Front Office Sports, Bale says investing in the Bluebirds is still a possibility, having previously fronted a consortium that had a bid knocked back by current owner Vincent Tan.
The Wales legend said he and John Shulman, founder of Juggernaut Capital Partners, the private-equity firm that has helped launch the fund, need to look at potential club investments from a business point of view.
However, he added that with Cardiff "there's those heartstrings that pull there". Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
“It’s about being patient, finding the right club, and the right path for us to take,” Bale said. “That doesn’t mean Cardiff is off the table. But I think now we have a bit of time, and will look around.”
Bale made little secret of his desire to buy the club when quizzed last summer.
"It's where I was born. It's where I grew up," he told FOS at the time.
"I think that's what's torn on those heartstrings a little bit more, and got me a little bit more motivated to get involved again and back into football. Because it is my home club.
"It's probably a club that's been on the decline for a number of years now.
"For me, I feel like it's the right time. I have a lot of friends who are Cardiff fans that also agree with me.
"It's time a new ownership came in maybe and gave it that fresh boost.
"Some fresh ideas, and some excitement back to the club, where we could potentially go forward again.
"But because I'm from that city, it has a little more meaning and I guess it gives me more motivation to be involved and to get behind the ownership group."
At the time, Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman dismissed the bid, and interest from a South African group, as "fiction".
"This has been fascinating work of fiction. Let me be very clear on the record, nobody from a South African consortium came to see me," said Dalman back in August.
"We have not entertained anybody coming around to look at this club. We have never spoken to the regulators or EFL [English Football League] or anybody.
"I have never tried to put a consortium together to take over this. I have never showed any interest in taking over this club. I came with Vincent, I will probably go with Vincent.
"There is an attempt by a number of groups to try to buy this club on the cheap so they're pulling these stories out. We just need to kill them [the stories]. Our focus is to get promoted.
"I take one seriously. Are we pursuing it? No."