After Riquelme, Perez also announces a star player to Real

Just a few days before Sunday’s presidential election at Real Madrid, tensions have reached boiling point. The two candidates are trading increasingly ambitious promises, and after challenger Enrique Riquelme announced that he would bring in Erling Haaland if elected, current president Florentino Perez responded with a bombshell of his own.

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“I have some news for you. On Tuesday, I will make a major offer to a Champions League club for a world-class player. It would be the biggest transfer fee Real Madrid has ever paid. We’re talking about around €150 million. A hint? I can’t give you one, but I can tell you that this is what we’re going to do” Perez said during an appearance on the TV program Horizonte.

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So who could it be? Many immediately thought of Michael Olise. However, Perez quickly ruled that out.

“Olise is a fantastic player, but it’s not Olise. It’s not Doku either. We’ll make a significant offer, at least 150 million euros. Ideally, it will be for a midfielder or a forward. It’s not Haaland. It’s not a player from the Premier League. And the first thing we’ll do is speak with the club. This is the kind of signing that creates excitement, because that’s the whole point — creating excitement”.

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Perez also dismissed his rival’s promises regarding Erling Haaland.

“Everyone has denied the Haaland story. It must be a bluff... I don’t want people who destabilize the club”.

The Real Madrid president spent much of the interview discussing the club’s financial strength, its economic stability, and the reasons he originally took charge of the club. He also claimed that Denzel Dumfries would be joining Real Madrid and made an even more surprising announcement regarding the managerial position.

“Yes, he is coming to Real Madrid next season. I’m excited because we know him well. He gave us a tremendous competitive mentality, and after he left, we won six Champions League titles thanks in part to that spirit. Now he is motivated to win the Champions League again.” The coach Perez was referring to is Jose Mourinho. With election day approaching, the political battle at Real Madrid appears to be entering its most dramatic phase yet.