The leader did not reveal the name of the great objective, but he gave several clues: it is a footballer who plays in the Champions League, does not belong to the Premier League, and fits the category of "total galáctico". The announcement comes in the final stretch of a campaign marked by competition with Enrique Riquelme, who has promised signings of enormous impact such as Erling Haaland and Rodri Hernández if he manages to win the vote.
Florentino, who seeks to revalidate the club's presidency, used his television appearance to reinforce his message to the members: continuity in the model, top-level signings, and a strong defense of his management at the helm of Real Madrid.
Florentino confirms Denzel Dumfries if he wins the elections
The name confirmed by Florentino Pérez is Denzel Dumfries. The Dutch full-back, currently at Inter Milan, would be one of Real Madrid's reinforcements if the current president wins the elections.
Dumfries is a physical, powerful profile with international experience. He plays as a right-back or wing-back, has an offensive drive, and comes from competing at the highest level in Italy and Europe with Inter. His arrival would serve to strengthen a sensitive area of the white squad, especially after a season marked by injuries and lack of continuity in several defensive positions.
The announcement fits within Florentino's strategy of presenting a candidacy with concrete names before the members go to the polls. In recent days, Ibrahima Konaté had also been mentioned as a defensive reinforcement and José Mourinho as a possible coach for his new project.
A historic offer for a "total galáctico"
The great suspense of the night was the second announcement. Florentino Pérez stated that on Tuesday, if he wins the elections, he will try to make the biggest offer in Real Madrid's history for a player he did not want to identify.
The president gave some clues, although without revealing the name. He said it is a European footballer, who plays in the Champions League, and who does not belong to the English Premier League. He also defined him as a "total galáctico," an expression loaded with meaning in the club's recent history.
The mystery remains open until after the elections. The message, however, is clear: Florentino wants to respond to Riquelme's promises with an operation of maximum sporting and media ambition.
The campaign enters the signing phase
The race for the presidency of Real Madrid has entered a phase clearly marked by proper names. Riquelme stirred up the campaign with his promises to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri Hernández, two players destined to change any sporting project.
Florentino has responded with a different strategy: confirmed or outlined names to reinforce specific positions and the promise of a major operation yet to be revealed. Dumfries represents the immediate signing; the "total galáctico" represents the pending major electoral asset.
The campaign recalls, in intensity and media noise, other historic Real Madrid elections, where signings were much more than sporting operations: they were messages of power, ambition, and future.
Dumfries, a reinforcement for the right-back
Denzel Dumfries is an international with the Netherlands and one of the most recognizable full-backs in European football. His profile combines strength, attacking runs into the box, physical presence, and experience in major competitions.
At Inter Milan, he has been an important player in various seasons, with appearances in the Champions League and in matches of the highest demands. For Real Madrid, his incorporation would mean reinforcing the right flank with a player of immediate impact and international experience.
It is not a pure marketing signing, but an operation with a clear sporting rationale. Madrid seeks to shore up an area that has struggled in recent years, and Dumfries fits the profile of a competitive, strong footballer accustomed to big stages.
The response to Riquelme
Florentino's announcement comes after Enrique Riquelme has attempted to set the tone of the campaign with far-reaching promises. The businessman has presented an ambitious candidacy and has promised very striking market moves if he becomes president.
Riquelme's strategy seeks to attract the socios dissatisfied with recent seasons and offer an alternative of rupture after years of continuity in the club's leadership. Florentino, for his part, tries to counteract this momentum with his main asset: the accumulated credibility as a president who has already closed some of the biggest signings in Real Madrid's history.
The underlying message is clear. Riquelme promises a revolution. Florentino responds with experience, names, and a major pending operation.
An increasingly acrimonious campaign
The Real Madrid electoral campaign has intensified in recent days. Florentino Pérez has once again questioned Riquelme's candidacy and has linked his circle with previous stages of the club that he considers negative.
The white president insists that his rival seeks to benefit from Real Madrid, while Riquelme tries to present himself as a modern, ambitious alternative capable of opening a new institutional and sporting era.
The tone of the campaign is no longer purely sporting. Along with signings, the club model, the weight of the members, the economic future of Real Madrid, and the way of managing an entity that moves between associative tradition and the pressure of global football are also on the table.
Mourinho, Konaté and now Dumfries
Florentino had already positioned José Mourinho as one of the key figures in his sporting project. The Portuguese coach, who managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, appears as a figure of authority, competitiveness, and experience to open a new era on the bench.
To that name is added Ibrahima Konaté, a central defender linked to Florentino's project, and now Denzel Dumfries. With these moves, the president tries to convey the idea of a stronger Real Madrid defensively, more physically competitive, and prepared to dominate in Europe again.
The big pending name, however, remains the player for whom Florentino promises to make a historic offer.
The member will decide on Sunday
The Real Madrid elections are held this Sunday and will be the first with real competition for the presidency in many years. Florentino Pérez starts with the weight of his career, his titles, and his ability to attract big stars. Riquelme tries to dispute the narrative with an impactful candidacy, promises of signings, and a discourse of renewal.
The announcement of Dumfries and the promise of a historic offer come in the decisive stretch of the campaign, when every gesture can influence the mood of the member.
Pending the name of the "total galáctico," Florentino has left one last card on the table: if he wins, on Tuesday he will make a move for one of the great players in European football.