Florentino Perez approves Real Madrid move for £139m-rated winger as Sunderland plot shock raid | OneFootball

Real Madrid are reportedly getting serious in their pursuit of Bayern Munich star Michael Olise, with Florentino Perez personally leading the charge for the superstar winger, as Sunderland plot a surprise raid on the Bernabeu.

Los Blancos kept their Champions League hopes alive by beating Manchester City in the Round of 16, giving them hope that this season can still be a success under interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa.

But there is still an acceptance among the club’s hierarchy that big squad changes are required for them to reassert themselves as Europe’s best team.

Perez plotting incredible Olise swoop

Real Madrid are huge admirers of Olise, who has also been shortlisted by Liverpool as a potential Mo Salah replacement.

The 24-year-old joined Bayern from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024 for around £50million, and he’s established himself as one of the German club’s most important players.

Olise has notched a fantastic 15 goals and 27 assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season, and looks set to play a leading role for France at this year’s World Cup.

According to respected journalist Christian Falk, Real Madrid president Perez is driving a move for Olise, with a transfer on his radar for the summer.

If the remainder of this season doesn’t go well for Los Blancos then a transfer is considered more likely, especially with Rodrygo currently unavailable due to a long-term injury.

Falk suggests that interestingly, Bayern would not instantly reject an offer if it is in the region of €160million (£139m / $185m), even though they ideally want to keep Olise.

Whether Real Madrid are willing to go that high remains to be seen, but a big-money sale would make it more likely.

Sunderland submit ‘offer’ for Real Madrid star

Meanwhile, a report has claimed that Sunderland have submitted a €15million (£13m / $17.4m) offer for Real Madrid midfielder Thiago Pitarch.

The 18-year-old has had a breakthrough season and put in an excellent performance in the victory over Man City on Wednesday night.

But it’s claimed that the ‘offer’ is ‘under consideration’ at the Bernabeu, giving Sunderland hope that they can land what would be a fantastic summer coup.

The dilemma Real Madrid face is that while Pitarch is clearly an exciting prospect, he’s could fall back down the pecking order once their injury list subsides.

It’s also no secret Real Madrid plan to sign at least one new high profile midfielder in the summer.

With this in mind, it’s possible Pitarch is relegated back into Real Madrid’s B team next season despite his breakthrough in the first team this year.

It is worth noting, though, that the claims of an ‘offer’ haven’t been widely reported, so they must be taken with a pinch of salt for now.

Los Blancos could re-sign Serie A star

In other news, Real Madrid are reportedly considering re-signing Lazio centre-back Mario Gila, who is likely to be on the move this summer, after rejecting contract offers from the Italian club.

Aston Villa and Chelsea are also said to be interested in the 25-year-old.

But Los Blancos have an advantage in the race. They inserted a 50% sell-on clause when selling him to Lazio in 2022, so could get him back at a discounted price.