Perez plots £130m Real Madrid record signing after Haaland presidential promise collapses

Florentino Perez has been re-elected as Real Madrid president and immediately signalled his intent to break the club’s transfer record with a bid of at least £130 million for a Champions League midfielder, ending the brief but noisy speculation that Erling Haaland could be the target.

The Haaland angle emerged from Perez’s defeated rival, Enrique Riquelme, who had campaigned on a promise to sign the Manchester City striker, claiming the Norwegian “has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid.” City swiftly dismissed the claim, stating “there is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it,” and warned they were considering legal action over the use of Haaland’s image. Haaland’s father, Alf-Inge, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, issued a joint statement calling the reports “all very entertaining but not true.”

With Riquelme’s bid defeated, Perez moved to clarify his own transfer vision. “On Tuesday or so, I’m going to make an offer to a major Champions League club for a great player,” he said before the vote. “It would be the largest transfer fee Real Madrid has ever paid in its history.” He ruled out Haaland, Harry Kane, and Jérémy Doku as the intended target, describing the player as “from midfield who can go forward” and not from the Premier League.

Despite also appearing to rule out Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, reports suggest it is the France international who will receive Madrid’s record offer. Perez’s framing — “The player is not from the Premier League” — is consistent with Olise, who plays in the Bundesliga, and the signing of returning head coach José Mourinho has only intensified speculation.

Bayern, however, have made their position unambiguous. Club president Herbert Hainer said: “Michael Olise is an FC Bayern Munich player who still has a long contract — and we are not a selling club. If Florentino Perez wants to send us an offer — which has not been the case so far — he can save himself.” Honorary president Uli Hoeness was equally blunt: “He can cast five eyes on Olise, he can’t get it. It remains unsellable.” Board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added: “For a player like Olise, there is no price tag that would make us twitch.”

Whether Perez’s imminent approach can shift Bayern’s stance remains to be seen, but the German champions are presenting a united front as Madrid prepare what would be the most expensive deal in their history.