"On Tuesday, I will submit a substantial offer to a major Champions League club for a player who would become the biggest signing in Madrid's history. The fee will be at least €150 million," Florentino Pérez announced live on the Spanish television show Horizonte — and the transfer market has been trembling ever since.
The Real Madrid president is promising his supporters a genuine superstar, and to crank the anticipation even higher he went one step further. "He's a superstar every bit the equal of Cristiano Ronaldo!" he declared.
That fee would blow straight past Jude Bellingham's club-record move, which reached €127 million once bonuses were counted in. For now, though, the name stays locked away. Pérez refuses to reveal his target before Tuesday, wary of FIFA's Article 18 — the rule that can hand clubs sanctions for opening talks too soon. His parting tease said everything: "In Madrid, you always need more."
Pérez vs Riquelme: The Battle For Madrid's Throne
Election fever in Madrid is reaching boiling point. For the first time in two decades, the 79-year-old president faces a real challenger. Energy magnate Enrique Riquelme has promised voters nothing less than the signing of Erling Haaland — a claim Manchester City flatly rejected, even threatening Riquelme with legal action. Pérez's reply dripped with irony. "It's not Haaland," he noted.
On Sunday, the decision lands with the people who matter most. Up to 100,000 socios, the club's voting members, will choose the future of a Real Madrid that has now gone two seasons without a major trophy.
Vitinha, Neves Or Kvaratskhelia? — Romano's List
So who is the mystery man? According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, the shortlist leans heavily towards Paris Saint-Germain's Portuguese pair, Vitinha and João Neves. Both are represented by Jorge Mendes, an agent Pérez has gone out of his way to get back onside.
Romano also points firmly to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a leading candidate for the attack, a name Madrid simply cannot afford to overlook. Bayern Munich's prodigious talent Jamal Musiala features too. Julián Álvarez has been floated in the press, although Romano himself brands that one "crazy." And then there is Michael Olise. Pérez has publicly denied any interest, yet The Guardian insists the France international is actually Madrid's number one target.
Who Mister X Is Not — Pérez's Strict Filter
To narrow the guessing game, Pérez has laid down some firm rules. It is now officially confirmed that "Mister X" does not play in the English Premier League.
His public filter has already crossed several big names off the list. Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jérémy Doku and Enzo Fernández are all out. The €150 million man must be young, and he must operate in attack or midfield — Pérez has ruled out paying a record fee for a defender in the bluntest terms.
Mourinho's Return And A New Defensive Wall
Whoever turns out to be the headline act, Pérez has quietly tied up other business behind the scenes. Win the election, and José Mourinho is coming back to Madrid.
The defence is in line for a serious overhaul as well. Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konaté will arrive on a free transfer, while Inter's right-back Denzel Dumfries has already had his $23 million release clause triggered.
Ultimately, these moves show that Pérez is not fixated on attack alone. He is trying to balance a squad that already boasts world-class talent in Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.
