Pérez Reveals His Mystery Galáctico
Days before the presidential election, Florentino Pérez publicly announced that he will bid €150 million for a Galáctico signing for Real Madrid. Pérez hinted that the player will be a Ronaldo- or Kaka-level player, and he is not from the Premier League.
After defeating Enrique Riquelme by a margin of 28% of the votes in the election, Perez announced that he will announce the name of the Galáctico player to the public today.
Real Madrid Submit €150M Offer for Álvarez
Today Real Madrid released an official statement revealing the mystery player and result of the bid.
The official statement says: Real Madrid CF announces that, following today's Board of Directors meeting, it has made an offer of 150 million euros to Club Atlético de Madrid for the federative rights of the player Julián Álvarez.
After studying and evaluating it, Atlético de Madrid has thanked the club for the offer, made within the framework of the good relations existing between both clubs, and has rejected it, referring to the player's release clause.
The mysterious Galáctico player Florentino Perez was referring to Athletico Madrid's striker Julian Alvarez. Real Madrid's €150 million bid is rejected by Atlético Madrid, who are demanding €500 million, which is the release clause of the player.
Barcelona's Summer Plans Take a Hit
This development has created a major headache for Barcelona, who were targeting Alvarez as the priority signing of the summer. Barca was hoping to get Alvarez for a price around €120 million, but due to Real Madrid's bid, Athletico's asking price has risen to €500 million from €150 million.
After the official statement from Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid made their stance clear: we neither study nor consider any offer for Julián through their X handle.
What Happens Next in the Transfer Saga?
Meanwhile, Barcelona has reportedly set a maximum of €120M aside for the Julian Álvarez operation in the summer. Following the bid of Florentino Perez for the Argentinian, it has become more difficult for Barcelona to pursue the signing of Alvarez.
According to earlier reports from Fabrizio Romano, the player already informed Athletico that he wants to leave in the summer for Barcelona, and he already refused to renew his contract, which runs until June 30, 2030.