With the club's socios set to vote on June 7, Enrique Riquelme has made the most eye-catching promises yet. The 37-year-old CEO of Cox Energy, the first challenger to take on Florentino Pérez in two decades, claims he has deals lined up for two major international stars should he win.
The Rodri Promise
Riquelme named Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri as his primary target. Speaking to Tiempo de Juego, he said bringing Rodri to Madrid would address what he called the "painful embarrassment" of having no Real Madrid players on the Spanish national team.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
Sky Sports DE reports the second "major international star" Riquelme has in mind is Rodri's City teammate Erling Haaland. Adding both players to one squad would be a reshaping of the roster unlike anything seen in recent summers.
Pérez's Response
The 79-year-old incumbent has been less specific about transfer plans. Reports suggest he has a deal for José Mourinho to return as manager should he retain the presidency. A banner unveiled in Madrid this week listed blockbusters from Luís Figo to Kylian Mbappé with "to be continued" below.
Spanish outlet COPE claims Pérez's潜在targets include defender Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), midfielder João Neves (PSG), winger Victor Muñoz (Osasuna), and Ibrahima Konaté. That is essentially a wish list covering three positions of apparent need.
The History Behind the Promises
Promising star signings has long been part of Real Madrid campaigning. Ramón Mendoza won unopposed in 1985 after pledging to sign Hugo Sánchez from Atlético Madrid—a deal so controversial Sánchez was first sold to Pumas in Mexico before Madrid bought him.
Pérez's own history is stained with similar tactics. Luís Figo's arrival from Barcelona remainsthe most famous example. In 2006, Ramón Calderón promised Kaká, Cesc Fàbregas and Arnen Robben—only Robben actually arrived.
Riquelme has spent weeks trying to separate himself from Pérez. Yet when it comes to tantalizing promises about who might wear white next season, he is following the oldest playbook in the club.