Mbappé’s arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu after seven years of waiting is yet more evidence of Florentino Pérez’s dislike of spending for the sake of spending. The president was patient, trusting that the French striker would not succumb to pressure to extend his contract with PSG. Thus, transfer bonuses aside, Kylian arrived at the club from Concha Espina “for free” to fulfil his dream.
However, it is not the first time Florentino has used this strategy to sign a key player. When David Alaba played for Bayern, he also spoke to the player for enough time for him to decide not to renew his contract and join the team that won the Champions League the following season.
Rüdiger arrived in the same way a year later, following a path that has continued for years to challenge the finances of clubs like Manchester City. All of these negotiations were underpinned by previous work, and Real’s modus operandi was to wait and “slowly simmer” new signings.
In parallel to these operations, Florentino Pérez also saved money by signing players whose contracts were due to expire in a year, for a lower price than they would have otherwise paid. The most famous case in recent years is that of Toni Kroos, who joined Real Madrid for 25 million in 2014 after failing to reach an agreement with Bayern to extend his contract.
Another recent example is Camavinga, who landed at Madrid in the final stages of the 2021 transfer window for €31 million plus €9 million in variables, with just one season left on his Rennes contract, while Thibaut Courtois signed for Real in 2018 for €40 million, €22 million below his market value, with just one year left on his Chelsea contract.
Seeing the fruits being picked, the president The whites follows this line of thinking with Alphonso Davies and more recently Leny Yoro. In the case of Manchester United’s new centre-back, Florentino had a clear idea of signing him in this window at a low cost or as a free agent in 2025. Ultimately, the player opted for the Red Devils, who were willing to pay 62 million plus the 8 million in variables that Lille were asking for.
The Bayern defender’s situation is very similar, as this is the last year of his contract with the Bavarian club, so from January he will be able to negotiate with any team if he does not extend his contract. This business strategy involves larger and more expensive operations, but seeing the good results it gives, except for some cases like Hazard, the motto is: continue what works.
