Gareth Bale sends message to David Storch as Sheffield Wednesday takeover nears
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Credit: Imago, BBC Wed 18 March 2026 19:15, UK Gareth Bale has reached out to potential new Sheffield Wednesday owner David Storch to wish him luck with his new venture at the Championship club.Wednesday have suffered on and off the pitch this season after disgraced former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s financial situation deteriorated last summer. The Owls’ chief plunged the club into administration in October after months of failed payments to his staff, with the EFL also deducting an initial 12 points from their 2025-26 total, as another six were later taken away too.They have been stuck searching for new owners ever since, but there could be a light at the end of the tunnel soon after a group led by American businessman Storch were recently named as Wednesday’s preferred bidder.Storch has insisted that he is committed to getting a deal over the line to be their next owner, and he may look to get Bale involved after the former Tottenham and Real Madrid star’s latest social media interaction.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Gareth Bale wishes David Storch luck at Sheffield Wednesday on XSince he retired from playing in 2023, Bale has ventured into punditry and numerous business ventures, and he was part of a bid launched last May to buy his hometown club Cardiff City.Bale was also reportedly part of a group that wanted to take over at Plymouth Argyle last year, with members of the Storch family also believed to be involved in the deal.Both consortia failed in their respective offers to take over the League One clubs, but the 33-year-old has recently reinstated his desire to return to football as part of a club’s board in the years to come.Storch recently took to X to send a message to Wednesday fans and thank them for welcoming him to the city, and Bale replied to his post on Wednesday by saying: “Best of Luck, Storchy!”It remains to be seen if the ex-Wales captain will be involved in any capacity at Hillsborough, but many Owls fans have urged him to put his boots back on and play for them in the third tier next season.Financial expert Stefan Borson has revealed to Football Insider that Storch could become Wednesday’s new owner in the next month, and it should be a relatively straightforward process for him to take over.Which teams are set to join Wednesday in League One?Leicester City and Oxford United are currently occupying the Championship relegation zone alongside already-relegated Wednesday with eight games left to play this season.Oxford are 22nd as it stands, with West Brom and Portsmouth out of the bottom three by one point and Blackburn sat three ahead of the relegation zone in 19th.According to Opta‘s supercomputer, both the Foxes and the U’s are on course to be playing in League One next season.Leicester have a 43.58 per cent chance of being relegated, while Oxford have a 52.82 per cent chance, with the Baggies set to avoid going down with a current 39.8 per cent chance of going down. 🏆 Championship Insider Access Get the full story from across the EFL with our dedicated expert hubs: Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from across the EFL Championship.