Key Takeaways:
- Florentino Pérez announced on a television broadcast that he intends to submit a record €150 million bid for a high-profile player next Tuesday
- Pérez confirmed the target is not Erling Haaland, nor a Premier League footballer, but is expected to play from midfield forward
- He cited Real Madrid’s financial strength, positioning it as the world’s most valuable club for the fifth consecutive year
Presidential Contest Sparks Galáctico Ambition
Florentino Pérez has responded to campaign pressure from presidential challenger Enrique Riquelme by unveiling plans for a substantial signing valued at €150 million. Speaking on the television programme “Horizonte,” Pérez dismissed ongoing speculation about Erling Haaland, stating: “As for Haaland, everyone has denied it, so it must be a bluff… I don’t want people who destabilize the club.” This was in direct response to Riquelme’s public interest in Manchester City’s Norwegian striker.
🚨 Florentino Pérez, en Horizonte: "Vamos a presentar la mayor oferta de fichaje de la historia del Real Madrid: serán más de 150 millones de euros" pic.twitter.com/XvMfnAAmu4
— MARCA (@marca) June 4, 2026
Major Transfer on the Horizon
Pérez disclosed plans for an imminent proposal: “I want to share some news. On Tuesday, I will make a major offer to a Champions League club for a great player. It would be the largest transfer fee Real Madrid has ever paid in its history. It would be around €150 million. A clue? I can’t give one—I’m already telling you what we’re going to do.” He clarified, “Olise is a great player, but it’s not Olise. Nor is it Doku… We’re going to make a significant offer, at least €150 million. The player will most likely be from midfield forward. It’s not Haaland. And it’s not someone from the Premier League. The first thing we’ll do is speak with the club. It’s a signing meant to excite people, because that’s what this is about—creating excitement.”
Financial Dominance and Club Legacy
The Real Madrid president highlighted the club’s immense valuation: “According to Forbes, the club is worth €10 billion, but I think they’re off by another €10 billion. When I arrived, we didn’t even have enough money to pay salaries. The players weren’t getting paid. That was the situation in 2000 when I took over. Now, in 2026, it is the most valuable club in the world, and that gives me great satisfaction.” He reminisced about his early days of attending matches with his father and his personal financial commitment: “I personally guaranteed €147 million, and the financial problems were over. Now there is no club worth more than Madrid, for the fifth consecutive year.”
Achievements and High Expectations
Pérez discussed the standards at the club: “The level of expectation has always been high, and now we lead all rankings—financial, revenue, image… We have educated our fans to demand excellence, and that is motivating. But no one has won as many European Cups as I have, along with a total of 66 titles.”
Mourinho’s Influence and Future Prospects
On José Mourinho, Pérez commented: “It means he will come to Real Madrid next season. I’m excited because we know him. He taught us tremendous competitiveness, and after he left, we won six Champions League titles as a result of the mentality he gave us. Now he is motivated to win the Champions League again.” He later added: “Mourinho gave us great competitiveness. He is a great coach. After he left, we won several Champions League titles almost consecutively. He did a fantastic job, creating tremendous unity within the team. I have a lot of confidence in Mourinho.”
Stability and Commitment to the Club Model
Addressing speculation following an incident between Tchouaméni and Valverde, Pérez commented on internal leaks and media influence. He recalled: “It’s nonsense to say two players had a fight; that’s normal. What’s not normal is for someone inside the club, acting with bad intentions, to leak it. Everything that happens at Madrid has enormous repercussions. I had detected a conspiracy between some media outlets and certain individuals to destabilize the club. We couldn’t continue like that, which is why I called elections. I wanted to cut it off at the root. What a coincidence that those trying to destabilize the club are from a dark period in Madrid’s history. In 2008, a major controversy erupted at the club and I had to return. It was an era when people who weren’t members were getting into General Assemblies. It was a bad, toxic board—one of the worst periods in the club’s history. Now the sons of those people who smuggled outsiders into the Assemblies have appeared. And I said, ‘Well then, Florentino, time to start over again.’”
Rejection of Club Sale and Members’ Ownership
Pérez firmly denied any intention to sell Real Madrid: “The idea of selling the club is nonsense. What I want is for the members to be the owners of the club—not only emotionally, but economically as well. I would be privatizing it with the members, who are the club’s owners. To say that I want to keep the club for myself… if I had wanted to do that, I would already have done it. My dream is for the club’s economic owners to be its members. If I had wanted to keep it, I would have kept it already.”
