Two birds with one stone! Real Madrid makes a €150 million bid for Julián Álvarez, only to be swiftly turned down by Atlético Madrid due to the release clause.

Florentino Pérez has successfully secured re-election as Real Madrid president, so he must deliver on his promise to bid €150 million for a top attacking midfielder who does not play in the Premier League. Real Madrid's blockbuster offer has arrived, but it's not for Olise as previously reported by Romano—it's for Álvarez.

Real Madrid officially announced that on June 9 local time, they submitted a formal €150 million bid to Atlético Madrid for Álvarez. However, Atlético Madrid instantly rejected the offer, citing the release clause in his contract.

In my personal opinion, Real Madrid's €150 million offer for Álvarez is a "kill two birds with one stone" strategy. First, Florentino Pérez keeps his promise by actually making a €150 million bid for a top attacking star, showing he is a man of his word. Second, the €150 million offer is not for Olise because Bayern Munich would never sell their right-wing attacking threat. Real Madrid's bid for Álvarez seems to be coordinated with Atlético Madrid, and it also serves to put pressure on Barcelona: look, even a €150 million offer was rejected by Atlético, so Barcelona shouldn't bother trying to sign Álvarez.

The biggest loser from Real Madrid's bid is not Barcelona—they can simply move on and find other targets. Instead, the most harmed party is Álvarez himself. The Argentine starting striker has won zero titles in two years at Atlético Madrid. Barcelona was actually the best fit for Álvarez, but now only Paris Saint-Germain remains as a potential destination. It's already difficult for Álvarez to win titles with Atlético, and his championship-winning aura seems to have vanished...