Pérez described his target on Thursday night's Horizonte programme as a midfielder or attacker, not from the Premier League, playing for a Champions League club, and at the Galáctico level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká. Both Vitinha, 26, and Neves, 21, fit every stated criteria precisely — and both carry Transfermarkt valuations of approximately €140m.
Diario AS also floated Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise as a third candidate despite Pérez's public denial, noting that the France international impressed the Real Madrid president during Bayern's Champions League quarter-final victory over Madrid this season.
Pérez's comment that "Olise is a great player, but it is not Olise" was dissected by several outlets as sufficiently ambiguous to leave the door open.
The two PSG candidates represent contrasting profiles. Vitinha, born in Santo Tirso in northern Portugal, joined the Paris club from Porto for €40m in 2022 and has since become one of Europe's most polished midfield conductors — precise, positionally intelligent and capable of controlling the tempo of any game.
He played 50 matches this season, contributing seven goals and ten assists as PSG won a second successive Champions League title under Luis Enrique.
Neves, born in Tavira in the Algarve in September 2004, arrived at PSG from Benfica for €70m last summer and immediately established himself as an irreplaceable presence. He was outstanding in the Champions League final against Arsenal and, at 21, represents an entirely different proposition in terms of longevity and developmental upside.
Both players are represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, whose restored relationship with Real Madrid could become significant in negotiations.
The fundamental obstacle, however, is the club selling them. French football operates without mandatory release clauses, meaning PSG would need to agree a sale voluntarily. Libertad Digital reports that the club's position on both players is already a firm refusal.
Pérez has navigated similar situations before — most famously with Luis Figo in 2000 and with Neymar's failed pursuit across multiple summers — but his own relationship with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, while improved after the resolution of the Super League dispute, does not guarantee cooperation on marquee player sales.
Real Madrid's presidential election takes place on Sunday. Pérez is expected to win. The €150m offer, he has pledged, will be submitted on Tuesday.