Gareth Bale to front shock takeover bid for English club as 'behind the scenes' talks revealed

Former Tottenham Hotspur legend Gareth Bale could be making a shock return to England as details of 'secret talks' to takeover a club have been revealed.

As he left Spurs to join Real Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee of £85.1 million back in September 2013, Bale left behind a legacy of one the Premier League's greatest players.

The Welshman had spent six years playing for Spurs and scored 26 goals in his final season, earning both the Professional Footballers' Association's and Football Writers' player of the year awards.

He later made a brief return to the Premier League side on a season-long loan in September 2020, scoring 11 goals and assisting two across 20 Premier League appearances.

But it now appears that Bale could be preparing to make a shock return to England as the Welshman is believed to have held secret meetings to take over a club this summer.

Gareth Bale left Spurs as a club legend. (Image: Getty)

According to a report from The Telegraph, Bale is expected to be the face of a US-based private equity group's bid to buy Plymouth Argyle in the coming months.

It claims that talks for a deal have already taken place, with members of the American-based Storch family also believed to be involved.

Although it is not yet known exactly how far discussions have gone, it is believed that Bale has been part of the discussions that would see the group take full control at Home Park.

It is believed that Argyle's current chairman Simon Hallett has been looking for investment for at least a year, and recently agreed a deal to sell a stake in the club, only for it to fall through last month.

Tom Cleverley was recently appointed as Plymouth Argyle's new manager. (Image: Getty)

But it appears that Bale and his group feel that now is the perfect time to invest in Argyle, who recently appointed former Watford boss Tom Cleverley as their new manager after they were relegated from the Championship in May.

Bale's partnership with the bid comes as the latest in a series or recent takeovers that have worked with well-known names to add excitement to their club purchases.

In April, Bale's former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric fronted an American investment group's takeover of Swansea City, with the likes of NFL legend Tom Brady and American golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas also invested in English clubs.