Renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Julian Alvarez was not Real Madrid’s primary target for the “Galactico” signing promised by the newly re-elected president, Florentino Perez.
On Tuesday, Perez submitted an official €150 million bid to Atletico Madrid to sign Alvarez, fulfilling his electoral promise to land a blockbuster signing upon securing his continuation in office. However, Los Colchoneros rejected the offer outright, even mocking Real Madrid in a series of tweets, despite Los Blancos’ subsequent official statement emphasizing the deep relations between the two clubs.
The Real Dream: Michael Olise
According to Romano, Perez’s ultimate dream was actually Michael Olise. When the president first teased the mega-transfer during his campaign, the Bayern Munich and French star was the player he had in mind.
Despite Real Madrid’s strong relations with Bayern Munich, Perez realized within days that signing Olise was an impossible mission. The Bavarian giants made it clear they would not open negotiations under any circumstances, regardless of the financial package offered.
A Strategic Strike Against Barcelona
Following the Olise rejection, Perez pivoted to Julian Alvarez. However, Spanish media suggests this move served a different strategic purpose: sabotage.
An analysis by Mundo Deportivo indicates that Real Madrid did not actually need Alvarez, as the Argentine forward was never on their transfer shortlist, nor had the club contacted his agent. Instead, the €150 million bid was reportedly launched to derail Barcelona’s chances of signing him.
By submitting such a massive bid, Real Madrid effectively forced Atletico to increase their valuation of the 2022 World Cup winner. Consequently, Joan Laporta’s board would now have to match or exceed that astronomical figure, virtually crushing Barcelona’s hopes of landing Alvarez.
