"If there's a good player out there, I'll sign him": Florentino Pérez announces Real Madrid's transfer push

"Of course there will be signings," Perez stated. "We've always signed the best players. I signed Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham – then Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká and Benzema. Any top player will be on my radar."

Perez declined to mention specific targets, but when asked about Erling Haaland—who, despite his long-term contract at Manchester City (until 2034), has been repeatedly linked with a move to Real or Barca—he remained cautious: "I won't comment on that. That's the job of the sporting management. I don't get involved in that."

Tensions within the Real Madrid squad have sparked recent rumours of departures, with Federico Valverde—who suffered a concussion after a dispute with Aurelien Tchouameni—among those mentioned. That altercation was the low point of an explosive dressing-room atmosphere that has dominated the media in recent weeks. According to Perez, however, all the players get on "splendidly". "Occasional disagreements on the training pitch are par for the course at any club," he added. "What does not exist, however, is the malicious intent behind this orchestrated campaign." Perez also insisted that he had identified the "mole" who had leaked dressing-room details to the media, though he refused to name names.

He also played down talk of a star-studded squad rebelling against Xabi Alonso, or of his successor Alvaro Arbeloa struggling under the same pressure, insisting, "The coaches are in charge." "I don't know why I said at the end of my first term that I had miseducated the players. I have never spoken to a player. Not even Mbappé, since he's been here. When I see him in training, I just say hello."

Arbeloa's future appears uncertain, with reports linking José Mourinho to the hot seat. Though Perez has declined to comment, he is known to back the Portuguese coach's firm approach to managing big-name players.

Perez addressed Vinicius Junior's ongoing contract negotiations, which remain unresolved despite the Brazilian forward announcing over a year ago that he expected to sign an extension soon. "There is no rush to extend his contract," Perez stated, fully aware that the forward could leave on a free transfer after next season. "He still has a contract for the whole of next season. But I don't handle contract extensions. I consider Vinicius to be one of Real Madrid's best players."

Nevertheless, he regards Kylian Mbappé as the club's best player, and reports suggest the France forward's arrival has placed strain on his relationship with Vinicius. Since Mbappé joined in summer 2024, the club has failed to win a trophy, a slump Perez partly attributes to refereeing decisions. He again criticised the red card shown to Eduardo Camavinga during the quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich. "It hurts us because the referee robbed us of a wonderful semi-final and perhaps even a final. But the referee didn't do it out of malice. He simply didn't realise that he had already shown a yellow card four minutes earlier. Had he realised, he wouldn't have given it." A point even the Bayern players acknowledged afterwards.