The 79-year-old teased a big reveal as part of his election campaign.
Florentino Pérez revealed he will announce Real Madrid’s “first major signing for next season” on Thursday, while insisting he plans to continue attracting the best players to the club as president.
Pérez is currently in campaign mode with Real Madrid’s presidential elections set for Sunday, June 7. The 79-year-old incumbent—who has been unopposed in the last four election cycles—called for polling ahead of schedule, during an extraordinary press conference last month. Pérez, who is the favorite to retain his role, faces a challenge from 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme.
Both candidates have been making their pitches for the top job in recent days, with incoming transfers as a major talking point. Riquelme claims to have lined up deals for two unnamed players already—one of whom is a Spain national team star.leading to speculation that he is one of the as yet unnamed players, while some reports have claimed that Erling Haaland is another of Riquelme’s highly ambitious targets.
Pérez has been more coy on transfers, so far, but has leaned into his record of delivering superstar names at the club. A recent banner for his campaign displayed in Madrid city center showcases the big-name transfers during Pérez’s presidency from Luís Figo to Kylian Mbappé alongside the words, “to be continued”. Pérez revealed that this week, he plans to name a player who will sign if he is re-elected. When pushed on “major signings”, Pérez replied: “Of course.
This Thursday, I will announce Real Madrid's first major signing for next season. Everyone knows what my sporting project is: to have the best players and keep winning.
“We'll have names before Sunday, don't worry. People don't doubt it, people know me. I've always generated excitement during my 23 years as president. Those who know me know that the best players will be at Real Madrid and that we'll win a Champions League title.
”Ibrahima Konate left Liverpool on a free transfer after five seasons. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty ImagesIbrahima Konate had reached a “verbal agreement” with Real Madrid ahead of a free transfer after his Liverpool contract expired.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries is said to be close to a €20 million deal. However, there are question marks over whether either of those players would represent a big enough draw to warrant the teaser, particularly given Pérez’s track record for splashy attacking transfers. In the banner showcasing some of Pérez’s biggest and best deals, there is only one defender—Dani Carvajal—displayed among the 19 players.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also makes the cut, while the rest are exclusively midfielders and forwards. Pérez preference for forward talent and big statements means that it cannot be ruled out that he has another, as yet unmentioned, name up his sleeve for Thursday’s reveal. Andy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC.
Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs. A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.
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