Dalman Dismisses Cardiff Takeover Talk As 'fiction'

Cardiff City president Mehmet Dalman has dismissed arsenic "fiction" nan thought that nan nine is adjacent to being sold.

Former Wales and Real Madrid guardant Gareth Bale has publically stated that a consortium he is fronting has made offers to bargain nan Bluebirds, while location person been reports of takeover bids from a South Africa-based group.

Dalman admitted location had been informal approaches from imaginable suitors – only one, unnamed, which they are taking "seriously" – but said nine proprietor Vincent Tan was not willing successful selling.

The president besides rubbished speculation that he himself was considering buying Cardiff complete from Tan.

The Bluebirds were relegated from nan Championship past play and statesman their League One run astatine location to Peterborough United connected Saturday.

"This has been fascinating activity of fiction. Let maine beryllium very clear connected nan record, cipher from a South African consortium came to spot me," said Dalman.

"We person not entertained anybody coming astir to look astatine this club. We person ne'er spoken to nan regulators aliases EFL [English Football League] aliases anybody.

"I person ne'er tried to put a consortium together to return complete this. I person ne'er showed immoderate liking successful taking complete this club. I came pinch Vincent, I will astir apt spell pinch Vincent.

"There is an effort by a number of groups to effort to bargain this nine connected nan inexpensive truthful they're pulling these stories out. We conscionable request to termination them [the stories]. Our attraction is to get promoted.

"I return 1 seriously. Are we pursuing it? No."

This is nan first clip anyone connected Cardiff's committee has addressed nan takeover talk, which escalated erstwhile Bale revealed successful June that his consortium had approached nan Bluebirds astir purchasing his location club.

The legendary erstwhile Wales skipper past said successful July nan group had made a 2nd offer, while South African businessman Gary Otto was rumoured to beryllium starring a rival bid.

Dalman acknowledged their liking but questioned really superior that was.

"I guarantee you that each squad that gets relegated gets approaches because location are group that they are looking for worth purchases," he said.

"We ever person approaches. Most of them are pathetic. Some of them person substance.

"Of course, we had approaches, but that's not a bid. You would beryllium shocked really debased immoderate of nan numbers person been erstwhile group person rung up.

"For maine to maine to return anybody seriously, I request to cognize who they are successful their entirety. I request to cognize impervious of funds, preferably by a financial institution of immoderate credibility. I request to cognize who their lawyers are, and I request to cognize who their accountants are. Until they springiness maine those 4 things, I don't person an offer."

Dalman has antecedently said that Tan would beryllium unfastened to trading astatine nan correct price.

Cardiff's worth will person dropped arsenic a consequence of their relegation past season, and nan proprietor would for illustration to waste successful nan Championship or, ideally, backmost successful nan Premier League, wherever they person spent 2 seasons during his 15 years successful charge.

Dalman said location was a "cast-iron" connection connected nan array 2 seasons agone erstwhile Cardiff successful nan Championship but, moreover then, Tan was reluctant to sell.

"I would not want to waste astatine this level," said Dalman. "I would want to spot america successful nan Championship, which is really wherever this squad should be.

"We sewage really adjacent 2 seasons agone erstwhile we were successful nan Championship and we had a cast-iron offer. And that was nan closest we were to selling.

"The past valuation we did was astir £40m. The logic why I deliberation you tin inquire for a premium is this is simply a Premier League-quality stadium and a Premier League catchment area.

"It's possibly £50m if you agelong it. Let's presume a Championship [club] is £100m, do you want to waste it now? In nan Premier League it could beryllium £400m.

"So it's different dynamics, but I deliberation you do not want to waste an plus erstwhile it's stone bottom."