Onieva had also claimed to have an agreement with Cristiano Ronaldo in place, which he later denied. Onieva wanted to place current Almeria manager Hugo Sanchez, the former Real Madrid striker and Mexico manager, in charge of first team duties next season.
Lastly Eduardo Garcia had to pull out due to problems getting a bank guarantee for the estimated 50 million euros that candidates needed to provide, to enter the candidacy race in the first place.
Garcia had pledged to bring Chelsea's Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba to the Bernabeu, as well as claiming to having agreements to sign two more players.
So Florentino Perez is the overwhelming favourite to be the next Real Madrid president at the July 5th elections, with no competition in sight, or even on the table.
Perez has pledged to bring the glory days back to Real, and plans to do this by overhauling most of the squad and sanctioning a massive 200 million euro spending spree.
The surviving members of the current team are rumoured to be club captain Raul, Sergio Ramos, Lassana Diara, Pepe, Iker Casillas and perhaps Marcelo. Thats means a complete exodus of the strong and indifferently performing dutch contingent currently occupying the changing rooms.
Whilst the likes of Huntelaar, Arjen Robben, and Ruud van Nistelrooy will feel harshly done by, to be culled, they'll be no short supply of admirers when the transfer window opens. Whilst the same can not be said for Royston Drenthe, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart. Sneijder is being linked with Liverpool, while there is also talk of an immediate move to Chelsea for Van Der Vaart.
Rumoured to be arriving in there place are FC Porto's Bruno Alves to rekindle his defensive partnership with Pepe, Valencia's David Silva and David Villa, Bayern Munich's Frank Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan's Kaka. Any deal for Liverpool's Xabi Alonso is likely to include Wesley Sneijder as a possible makeweight.
Managerial wise, Perez's number one target is Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Wenger is reportedly said to be hurt by the recent criticism he has suffered from the gunner's hierarchy and fans due to another trophy-less season at the Emirates.
Although Wenger is unlikely to leave due to the amount of power that he enjoys in all aspects of the club. Regardless, its said that he's never been more interested in the Real Madrid job, than he is right now.
Other targets include Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho. Benitez is definitely not interested in leaving Anfield after just signing a new five-year contract at the club and being promised more power in the running of the Reds.
Although the Mourinho situation is harder to read, after the Portuguese tactician admitted he isn't hundred percent certain to be at the San Siro next season, and that he now regrets turning down the Real post in 2006 while he was at Chelsea.
The more likely appointment is likely to be former Getafe and Spartak Moscow manager Michael Landrup who was recently sacked by the Russian capital club. Or departing AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti who is also interesting Chelsea.
Unless some freak act of God happens, Florentino Perez will return as president after the elections, and with him he'll bring back Zinedine Zidane to work under him in a possible director of football role.
It's going to be an interesting summer in Madrid. But will Perez's return be good for Real Madrid? How bad is it that he'll probably walk straight into the job completely unopposed? While also who will stay, leave, or sign for the galacticos in the summer?
Expect a follow up piece when we know the answers!!
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