Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, promised to bid for a $174 million (€150 million) “Galáctico” player this summer as he tries to win Sunday’s presidential elections.
79-year-old Perez, who is seeking another term at the helm of the Spanish giants, has already outlined an ambitious transfer strategy, including appointing José Mourinho as coach, signing defender Ibrahima Konaté on a free transfer, and signing Internazionale wing-back Denzel Dumfries.
Speaking in a televised interview on Cuatro’s Horizonte on Thursday, Perez revealed that an official offer will be made next week for a player he described only as belonging to an “important, Champions League club.”
“On Tuesday, I’m going to make an offer to an important, Champions League club, for a great player,” Perez said.
“It would be the most money that Real Madrid have paid for a player in history. At least €150 million.”
Pérez wouldn’t name the player for whom he was planning to make an offer.
“It isn’t [Michael] Olise, he’s a great player, but it isn’t Olise,” Pérez said.
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“It isn’t [Jeremy] Doku, it isn’t Haaland. It isn’t [Harry] Kane. It’s a player who plays from the midfield, or further forwards. And he isn’t a Premier League player. He’s a total Galáctico. But first we’ll talk to his club.”
Madrid’s transfer record is currently the $119.6 million (€103 million) plus 30% in variables which they paid to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, followed by the $116 million (€100 million) plus variables paid for Eden Hazard in 2019.
Real Madrid is owned entirely by its members, who elect its president and each pays an annual fee of around £130, and nearly 100,000 of them will vote on Sunday.
Following his first election in 2000, Perez pursued a ‘Galacticos’ policy of signing expensive world-class players including Luis Figo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane.
Real Madrid won two La Liga titles and a Champions League before Perez resigned in 2006 amid disappointing results.
In 2009, he successfully stood for the presidency again unopposed and has done so a further four times in his 17-year second term.
Trailing La Liga champions Barcelona by eight points, Real Madrid ended the 2025-26 season with no major trophies for the second season in a row.
As the season drew to a close, Perez called a news conference in which he railed against the club’s enemies and urged those unhappy with his leadership to run against him for president.
Pérez, who has been Madrid president for 23 of the last 26 years, is being challenged in Sunday’s members’ vote by businessman Enrique Riquelme, 37.
