Real Madrid to launch record €150m bid as PSG midfielders linked
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has confirmed the club will submit a record-breaking €150m offer for a mystery midfielder or forward next week, with Spanish media linking Paris St-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves.
The 79-year-old made the transfer announcement while campaigning for re-election against rival Enrique Riquelme.
Voting takes place this weekend, with the long-serving Bernabeu chief heavily favoured to retain his position.
Election rivalry sparks transfer promises
The battle for the presidency escalated when Riquelme promised to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland if elected.
The 37-year-old challenger posed with a replica shirt bearing the Norwegian international’s name, prompting the English champions to reportedly threaten legal action.
Refusing to take victory for granted, the current president dismissed his rival’s pledge as a bluff.
He instead used an appearance on Spanish television to outline his own spectacular recruitment plans.
“On Tuesday, I will make a major offer to a Champions League club for a great player,” Perez told Spanish broadcaster Horizonte.
“It would be the largest transfer fee Real Madrid has ever paid in its history. It would be around €150 million.”
Premier League targets ruled out
The veteran administrator provided specific clues regarding the identity of his marquee target.
He explicitly denied moves for high-profile Premier League talent.
“It isn’t Michael Olise, he’s a great player, but it isn’t Olise. It isn’t Jeremy Doku, it isn’t Haaland and it isn’t Harry Kane,” he added.
“It’s a player who plays from the midfield, or further forwards, and he isn’t a Premier League player.”
The incumbent leader described his target as a total Galactico on the exact same prestige level as former club icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
PSG duo emerge as leading contenders
Widespread speculation initially suggested moves for Bayern Munich playmaker Jamal Musiala or Barcelona prospect Lamine Yamal.
However, Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE reports the shortlist has been conclusively narrowed to just two candidates.
Portugal internationals Vitinha and Joao Neves are believed to be the exclusive focus of the impending mega-bid.
Both players have established themselves as elite midfield operators in the French capital over recent seasons.
They also share a nationality with returning manager Jose Mourinho, further fuelling rumours of a major squad overhaul in the Spanish capital.