Now Florentino Perez has been voted in as Real Madrid president, the question arises: will he follow up on his big election promise?In the boldest play of his campaign, Perez said he would try and pull off “the biggest transfer in all Real Madrid’s history” if members chose him over rival candidate Enrique Riquelme at the ballot box on Sunday.The 79-year-old, speaking on Spanish TV show Horizonte on Thursday night, said he would make a bid for a player at a “big Champions League club” who would cost “at least €150million (£129.5; $173m)”.Who was this mystery transfer target?When pressed further Perez added: “It’s not (Erling) Haaland. But it’s a total galactico.”In response to the names of Michael Olise, Jeremy Doku and Harry Kane being mentioned, Perez also said the player he had in mind was a midfielder or striker not at a Premier League club. He was more eager to remind viewers of the many stars Madrid have signed on his watch over the years, including Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.The idea of going after the game’s biggest names is a familiar answer to football’s problems at the Bernabeu — and it will have done Perez’s ratings no harm, especially as he was responding to Riquelme’s own claims about signing Haaland and Rodri.But there’s also a different question here: What should Madrid actually do, assuming they have that money to spend?Fix the midfield? Strength in depth at the back? Or do they launch a glorious new galactico age (kind of) and go after Barcelona’s brightest star?We asked some of The Athletic’s writers…This is not the summer for Perez to go all galactico again. If the choice was spending the entire budget on Olise or spreading it across the squad, the latter would be the smarter option.The 24-year-old Bayern Munich winger has developed into one of the most productive attackers in world football, registering more than 50 goal involvements across all competitions this season and establishing himself as an elite creator. But this Madrid squad is already overflowing with match-winners.Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Arda Guler can all decide games, but since Toni Kroos retired in July 2024, there has been a void at the heart of Madrid’s midfield. The club still possesses athleticism and individual brilliance, but lacks the ability to dictate the tempo of a game.A player like Joao Neves, the 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal midfielder, would make far more sense than another attacking star.Neves in action for PSG against Arsenal in the Champions League final (Nicolas Tucat/ AFP via Getty Images)Conceding 20 goals and keeping only four clean sheets in the Champions League last season highlighted Madrid’s vulnerability. Ibrahima Konate appears destined for the Bernabeu when his Liverpool contract expires, adding quality to the backline. Neves in front of them would add another, much-needed, layer of protection.Amelie ClaydonYou go full Figo. You say: Barca, congratulations on your revenue generation, but how’s the debt looking? Maybe we can help you pay it down a little. What do you reckon? Lamine Yamal. €150million. It isn’t a record fee. It isn’t Neymar money. And look, if we do reach an agreement, don’t go and spend it all at once, eh? Remember how you made a mess of replacing Neymar with Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho. The Coutinho deal. My God. I know this won’t go down well with the socios, Joan. I know Lamine probably won’t like it, either.Yamal pictured in the stands with Spain during their friendly against Iraq on Thursday (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)But think of the content. Think of the Netflix docs. Think of the sales of pigs heads down the butchers. This is an absurd suggestion. This is totally unserious. And yet this is Real Madrid and we do it anyway.