Florentino Perez Drives €150million Bid in Real Madrid Transfer News

Real Madrid transfer news turned on Tuesday at 7.13pm local time, when the club said it had made a €150million bid for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez. Atletico rejected it, and sources with knowledge of the offer said Madrid will not increase their bid.

Florentino Perez and Julian Alvarez

Florentino Perez had already set the number in motion. Last week, during his re-election campaign, he said he would place a €150million bid on an exciting, unnamed player, then on Sunday he was re-elected as Real Madrid president ahead of Enrique Riquelme.

The club then matched that figure with Alvarez, the 26-year-old Argentina international. Real Madrid said Atletico thanked them for the offer but turned it down because it was below the player's release clause.

Atletico Madrid's Response

Atletico answered with a clarifying statement on Tuesday evening and did not treat the move as a routine approach between rivals. The statement said, "we are not grateful to you for anything," and added, "You cut the bit of the Pope's video where he said he was also an Atleti fan".

Real Madrid described its own position with the phrase "good relations," but the bid still sharpened the friction that already runs between the capital clubs. The Athletic reported that Atletico sources did not believe the offer was a genuine attempt to sign their player.

Madrid's Price Line

The €150million figure also gives a clear reference point for any future sale of Alvarez this summer. The Athletic reported that Madrid's number could set a base price, while Barcelona were preparing an offer of around €100m for the striker last month.

Madrid's club record fee remains the €127million it spent on Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund two years ago. For now, the line is firm: Real made the offer, Atletico refused it, and Madrid will not go higher.