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Wales great Gareth Bale was a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid Former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale was part of a bid launched in May to buy hometown club Cardiff City. The 35-year-old former Wales captain, who retired from playing in January 2023, is understood to have been part of a group that made direct contact with Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan with a proposal to take a controlling share at the League One club. The offer was rejected, with the Malaysian businessman thought to have little interest in selling at the moment, however the assumption is that the group will try again. Cardiff are not commenting on the reports that emerged late on Friday afternoon concerning a bid for the club newly relegated from the Championship. It is understood the proposal did not reach boardroom discussion stage. Bale - who won the Champions League five times with Real Madrid - had been linked with a move to Cardiff as a player in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, before opting to join Major League Soccer side (MLS) side Los Angeles FC. It was reported earlier in June he was part of a US-based consortium's attempt to take over Cardiff's fellow League One club Plymouth Argyle. What we know about Gareth Bale's bid to buy Cardiff City Barry-Murphy told to take Cardiff straight back up Cardiff confirm departure of Mexico-bound Ramsey Liverpool sign Leverkusen's Wirtz in £116m deal Slick Argentina extend lead over British and Irish Lions in Dublin Gill & Jaiswal tons punish England toss decision The man who unknowingly became a reality TV star in Japan Sophie Gravia and Christine Mc Guinness discuss dating stories An outrageous comedy about high school seniors The rise and fall of FHM, the UK's best-selling men's magazine Liverpool sign Leverkusen's Wirtz in £116m deal Pope, Bumrah, Bashir - how England v India will be won and lost 'He's got such an aura' - Farrell's rise to Lions top job Hampton's rise to England goalkeeper Have the Club World Cup's innovations been good or bad? The next Vettel or Verstappen? Meet Fionn Mc Laughlin More than 400, 000 empty seats at Club World Cup so far Napoli 'smell blood' & target Premier League's discarded stars The mind behind cricket's Hundred on his 'Prem' relaunch 'Judged on one night' - the cost of defeat in boxing How a mountain changed Wales' mindset as they seek Euro highs Premier League fixtures - find out your club's schedule 5 Live Sport: All About. .. Audio5 Live Sport: All About. .. 'Hope you get cancer' - Boulter shares her online abuse with BBC 'Horrifying' - BBC Sport's Croft on online abuse in tennis. Video'Horrifying' - BBC Sport's Croft on online abuse in tennis 'The tumult in the Ingebrigtsen fairytale was never far from the surface' F1 Q&A: Should Mc Laren have allowed Norris to pass team-mate Piastri? In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week Summer transfer window reopens - who could be on the move? Ask Me Anything, the BBC Sport service designed to serve you Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.