Florentino Pérez is lining up Real Madrid’s most expensive ever ‘galáctico’
Ahead of Sunday’s presidential election, Pérez has said he’s preparing a club-record signing. Three names are on the table.
Speaking on primetime television ahead of Real Madrid’s presidential election, incumbent candidate Florentino Pérez delivered a message that didn’t go unnoticed. “I’m going to make an offer to a Champions League club very soon, on Tuesday, that would be the biggest fee Real Madrid has ever paid for a player, at least €150 million,” Pérez told the TV show Horizonte. “It’s not [Michael] Olise - he’s a great player, but it’s not him. It’s not [Jérémy] Doku, not [Erling] Haaland, not [Harry] Kane… and it’s not from the Premier League. It’s a true ‘galáctico’.”
Who could Pérez be talking about?
AS understands that all signs point to three names: Olise, despite Pérez’s denial; Vitinha; and João Neves.
After Pérez’s challenger, Enrique Riquelme, announced he would sign Haaland if elected president - claims quickly dismissed by the player’s camp and by Manchester City - Pérez has reshuffled the deck, declaring he is in position to land a historic signing. If Madrid were to spend €150 million ($175 million), it would mark the highest transfer fee in the club’s history.
Olise earns Real admirers
In Olise’s case, although Pérez denied that the Bayern Munich winger was among the candidates, the Madrid president views the France international as a difference-maker. A move for the 24-year-old cannot be ruled out following an exhaustive market analysis. Olise is under contract at Bayern through 2029 and valued at €150 million by the specialized site Transfermarkt.
A left-footed attacker who typically lines up on the right wing, Olise left a major impression on Madrid during last season’s Champions League quarterfinal tie, when Bayern knocked Los Blancos out. That display appears to have put his name firmly in red ink on Pérez’s shortlist. Olise previously spent time in the academies of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Reading, before breaking out at Crystal Palace, the club that propelled him to Bayern. The German giants paid €53 million ($60 million) for him in the summer of 2024, and his rise in Munich has been relentless. He has tallied 107 appearances, 42 goals and 54 assists. Notably durable over the past two seasons, he has stayed clear of controversy and has only one red card in his career.
PSG duo also on radar
Pérez is also weighing a marquee addition in midfield. Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal pair Neves and Vitinha - both represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes - emerge as Madrid’s primary options, though internally they are viewed as difficult deals. PSG is not a selling club, and Madrid has no interest in pursuing an aggressive strategy that could strain newly repaired relations between the two sides.
Vitinha is a player Madrid has tracked closely for years. The 26-year-old is under contract until 2029 and valued at €140 million ($160 million). PSG signed him from Porto in 2022 for €41.5 million ($48 million), and he has since developed into a midfielder of outstanding class and authority - composed and intelligent on the ball, a leader in Luis Enrique’s title-winning side. He has been instrumental in PSG’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs. This season alone, he has made 50 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing 10 assists. A cornerstone for Portugal as well, he has earned 37 caps.
Any departure would be complicated, though a private contract - since release clauses are not permitted in France - could be key to unlocking a deal. The renewed relationship between Mendes and Madrid is another factor to watch.
A similar backdrop surrounds Neves. The 21-year-old shone for PSG in the recent Champions League final win over Arsenal, proving arguably the standout performer. His market value mirrors Vitinha’s. PSG paid Benfica €65.92 million ($76 million) for him in 2024, and under Luis Enrique he has blossomed into one of the most influential midfielders in the game.
Neves is also under contract through 2029. This season he has posted 38 appearances, seven goals and four assists. Internationally, he has 21 caps and three goals for Portugal. Like Vitinha, prying him away would be extremely difficult - but Pérez insists that on Tuesday he will submit an offer that would set a new transfer record for Real Madrid. All signs continue to point to Olise, Vitinha and Neves as the leading candidates.
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