Florentino Pérez's galloping Barcelonitis

BarcelonaFlorentino Pérez is not wasting time since he was re-elected president of Real Madrid. In just one week, the leader has made his mark on the transfer market. Besides signing José Mourinho as the new coach, he has also secured the arrival of defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries. But above all, he has stuck his nose into Barça's plans to boycott him or, directly, take from him, the reinforcements he had in mind. In just seven days, he has set out to increase the price of Julián Álvarez, has convinced Bernardo Silva with a fat cheque, and has finally reached a preliminary agreement to sign Marc Cucurella, a product of La Masia who is eager to leave Chelsea.

It is no secret that the Madridista leader does not take criticism well. And Florentino had been living since the autumn of 2024 with the opinion of a large part of the Madridista environment that reproached him for the decisions he had made in sporting matters. Too much for someone used to winning and who saw that a Barça that seemed mortally wounded economically and footballistically was once again the rival to beat in Spain and one of the names to consider in Europe. It is not clear whether the movements in the transfer market are his initiative or if they have come at Mourinho's proposal. The only certainty is that, in some way, he is repeating the formula he applied in 2010 when he tried to slow down what was then the team of the moment: Pep Guardiola's Barça.

Florentino is trying to kill three birds with one stone. First, strengthen his Madrid. Then, prevent Barça from strengthening. And third, demonstrate with facts that the club he presides over does not have as many economic problems as is suggested. According to information from the League headquarters, the whites still have room in the fair play to register players normally, but the medium and long-term forecasts are not at all optimistic, especially considering that the reform of the Bernabéu, his great patrimonial legacy as president, is not generating the expected income. On the horizon, the change of the corporate model, which once the elections are won – he already reiterated during the campaign that it was one of the highlighted parts of his project – he will try to culminate as quickly as possible to be able to capitalize the club through external investors.

But the president knows that numbers matter little to the social mass, as long as the club wins. And to win, he needs to strengthen well. The problem, as his opponents reproach him, is that there is no concrete project beyond signing the fashionable players. And if they have had great performances against Barça, even better. Besides bringing Kylian Mbappé in 2024, when he fulfilled a dream he had long pursued, in 2025 he paid up to 50 million to acquire Álvaro Carreras, a Benfica footballer who had shown a great level in the Champions League duels against Barça, and who was holding back Lamine Yamal. Precisely, and to overshadow the Rocafonda winger, he paid more than 60 million to River Plate to sign Franco Mastantuono, a forward who arrived in a marketing operation in which it was suggested that he was better than Lamine. The reality is that his role has been testimonial.

Offer of 50 million euros for Cucurella

However, of the three movements this summer to slow down Barça, the one that seems most successful is Cucurella's, who is halfway to Madrid, according to specialized transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. The left-back for Chelsea and the Spanish national team would land at the Bernabéu for around 50 million euros. Barça had already contacted him, but was not willing to reach that figure. Furthermore, João Cancelo's good performance in this half-year loan spell has led Barça to stop considering Cucurella's signing as a priority. Although the figures have not yet emerged, from Madrid's inner circle it is reported that the offer to the player was more attractive than what they could offer him from Camp Nou.

In fact, the case of Bernardo Silva is explained solely by monetary reasons. Arriving as a free agent from City, Barça made him an offer of around ten million gross. It's less than he was earning in England, but in reality the Portuguese was not a strictly necessary reinforcement in a very crowded midfield. Simply, a market opportunity. On the other hand, Madrid decided to raise the bet to 16 million, even more than what Atlético de Madrid, the other interested club, offered him. His agent, Jorge Mendes, did not hesitate for long. The contract was also longer for the 31-year-old midfielder: four years, double that in Barcelona.

The arrivals of Cucurella and Bernardo are not yet signed, but they are agreed upon. The other name, Julián, is not expected to arrive, as Madrid already has enough forwards on its payroll. Florentino's objective was to drive up the transfer fee with an unusual move: an offer of 150 million euros, which he announced through a statement, specifying that Atlético had rejected the proposal. In the president's mind was the dual objective of pleasing his electorate – he had promised a formal offer of 150 million euros for some player – and increasing the price of a footballer whom Barça was confident of signing for between 100 and 120 million euros.

Thus, if there are no further plot twists, Dumfries, Konaté, Bernardo, and Cucurella will be Madrid's first four signings for 26-27. Curiously, they are the same four positions (right-back, left-back, center-back, and midfielder) that were reinforced last summer. Clear evidence of Florentino's 'Barcelonitis'.