Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has admitted fans of any club can kiss goodbye to the idea of signing Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe or Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland now that the Super League is dead.
Los Blancos were one of 12 sides who had committed to forming the breakaway competition, which had promised to earn all founding members the best part of £300m before the end of the current campaign.
Florentino Perez: “The #SuperLeague is not dead, it’s on stand-by and we’ll work on the project. All 12 founder clubs signed the same contract”. ?
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 21, 2021
With that money now gone, Perez told El Larguero that players like Mbappe and Haaland, who come with price tags of well over £100m, are no longer realistic targets for any club, Real included.
"In general, there will not be big transfers this summer," Perez said. "When money does not flow from the rich clubs to the poor clubs, everyone suffers. It's impossible to make signings like Mbappe and Haaland, in general, not just for Real Madrid, without the Super League.
“If we don't sign Mbappe this summer, I don't think any fan will shoot himself in the head. They know we're doing our best, and if things don't happen, it's because they're impossible”
With money now tight at the Santiago Bernabeu, Perez hinted that there may need to be some sales to balance the books.
"It depends on Real Madrid's situation," he continued on the subject of sales. "This year we're bringing in €300m less. We need to sell a player, do things.
"I've done what I can up to now and I haven't done it badly. Despite a few people saying I don't know about football. I know what it's like to come into a club in 2000 where people hadn't been paid. I put up everything I could and changed the world with the Galacticos and went from losing €30m or €40m a year to bringing that in."
Perez also admitted he wants to keep centre-back Sergio Ramos around, claiming the club captain is 'like a son' to him, but the president was much less optimistic about the idea of keeping fellow defender Raphael Varane.
“Varane? I’m happy with our team," he said. "If players don't want to stay at Real, they can leave."
Varane has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, while Chelsea have also been credited as potential suitors for the 27-year-old.
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Source : 90min