Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham may have the Hollywood spotlight, but Welsh rivals Swansea City are stealing some star power of their own with Real Madrid maestro Luka Modric making his first move into club ownership with a minority stake.
The 39-year-old Croatia midfielder, whose contract at the Spanish giants runs until mid-2025, has joined American investors Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Nigel Morris and Jason Cohen in the ownership structure, according to Welsh media reports.
While the amount invested by the six-time Champions League winner was not revealed, Swansea said Modric would "play a key role in helping the club garner global attention and progress both on and off the pitch."
"Playing at the highest level, I believe I can provide my experience to the club," he said. "My goal is to support the club's growth in a positive way and to help to build an exciting future."
Modric remains an important player for Madrid, making 29 appearances in LaLiga this season and playing 13 Champions League games, including a start in last week's quarterfinal first leg defeat to Arsenal. Madrid host the second leg Wednesday, trailing 3-0.
Modric's investment comes as Championship side Swansea navigate challenging financial waters.
They posted a pre-tax loss of £15.2 million ($20.04 million) in the latest financial year -- a modest improvement from their £17.9 million loss the previous year.
The club reported a turnover of £21.5 million for the year ending June 30, 2024, the BBC reported.
In their financial statement, Swansea referred to the harsh economic realities of England's second tier.
"The board acknowledges that whilst the magnitude of the operational loss is a product of the highly competitive environment within the EFL Championship in which the club currently competes, the club will continue to focus on achieving operational efficiencies," the statement read.
With significant costs associated with maintaining a stadium and two training facilities, and without "any immediate prospect of a redistribution agreement between the EFL and the Premier League," Swansea noted they "will continue to be reliant on the support of their ownership group as the main source of funding."
Modric's arrival will sprinkle stardust on a Swansea side dreaming of a return to the Premier League and the treasure chest that comes with it -- though that dream will have to wait.
The Swans are marooned in mid-table, 12th in the 24-team Championship, with 54 points to their name -- a distant 34 behind pacesetters Leeds United and Burnley, who are locked at the top on 88 with just four games to play.
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.