Real Madrid have had a €150m (£129m) offer for striker Julián Alvarez rejected by city rivals Atlético Madrid — a bid that was met with mocking laughter and a withering public statement from the club. The move came after Florentino Pérez, re-elected as Real’s president on Sunday, made good on a campaign promise to sign an unnamed “galáctico”. But Atlético, who have watched Alvarez score 49 goals in 106 appearances since his £82m arrival from Manchester City in 2024, were unimpressed.
Within minutes of Real publishing their offer, Atlético reposted it on X with a series of laughing face emojis. A subsequent statement read: “You must have confused education with gratitude, but to leave no doubt: we don’t thank you for anything. We neither study nor consider any offer for Julian. How could we not get along, when you make us laugh even more than Barcelona does.” In a final post, they added: “P.S. Taking advantage of the good relationship with your new president, let’s see if you stop ‘stealing’ players from our Academy.”
“Real Madrid's £129m bid for Julián Alvarez was rejected by Atlético, who mocked the offer with laughing emojis.”
The 26-year-old Argentina international, whose contract runs until 2030 and contains a release clause of €500m (£430m), has been linked with Arsenal and Barcelona. But Atlético’s stance appears resolute. Real’s statement confirmed the offer was “reviewed and evaluated” and rejected “within the framework of the good relations between both clubs”.
Meanwhile, Manchester City are considering legal action after a rival candidate in the Real presidential election promised to sign striker Erling Haaland. Enrique Riquelme, a renewable energy magnate challenging Pérez, unveiled a Real shirt bearing Haaland’s name on live television, saying: “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.” City swiftly dismissed the claim, issuing a joint statement with Haaland’s father and agent: “There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”
Off the pitch, Real are preparing for a managerial change. Benfica confirmed on Tuesday that Real have expressed intention to hire José Mourinho for €15m, with the Portuguese manager agreeing to the move. Former Fulham boss Marco Silva will replace him at Benfica. Mourinho’s appointment was a key manifesto point for Pérez, conditional on his re-election. Álvaro Arbeloa, who took over as interim head coach in January after Xabi Alonso’s departure, has left the club, with Real saying they are “deeply grateful” for his loyalty and professionalism. As the Madrid derby rivalry intensifies both on and off the pitch, the question remains: can Pérez deliver the galáctico he promised, or will Atletico’s defiance and City’s legal threats force a rethink?