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Three prominent football stars have been strongly linked with potential moves to Real Madrid this summer.

Club president Florentino Perez has confirmed that Real Madrid is set to reveal its “first big signing” of the transfer window later this week.

The 79-year-old is currently seeking re-election as the club’s president, with voting scheduled for Sunday.

As a result, Perez, who has been at the helm of Real Madrid since 2009, has strategically planned the timing of his announcement just days before the elections.

In an interview with El Espanyol, Perez stated: “This Thursday, I’ll announce my first major signing for next season. Everyone knows my sporting project: to have the best players and to continue winning.”

Speculation has been mounting over who this announcement might concern, with Jose Mourinho widely expected to be unveiled as the club’s new head coach.

The Portuguese manager is reportedly set for a return to the Santiago Bernabeu dugout for a second spell, having been dismissed after the 2012–13 campaign — a season he described as “the worst of my career” following Madrid’s failure to secure any trophies.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is anticipated to leave his current position at Benfica to replace Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa’s short stint as interim coach concluded after his team narrowly missed out on the La Liga title to Barcelona and were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.

On Wednesday evening, a campaign video uploaded to Perez’s official social media accounts featured Mourinho wearing a Real Madrid jersey and enthusiastically shouting “Si!” — further fuelling rumours of his imminent return.

In addition to Mourinho, two defenders — Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries — are also said to be on the verge of joining Los Blancos.

Konate, currently with Liverpool, is available as a free agent after failing to agree on a contract renewal at Anfield. Meanwhile, Dumfries is expected to make the move from Inter Milan after Real Madrid reportedly triggered his €20 million release clause.