Real Madrid are prepared to smash the world transfer record with an
£80 million bid for
Cristiano Ronaldo after the Spanish club's manager, Bernd Schuster, said they would "
pay whatever it takes" to lure the Portuguese winger from Old Trafford. With the Spanish champions also offering to pay Ronaldo £182,000-a-week after tax, the potential deal is nearly double what is currently the biggest transfer in football history which occured when Zinedine Zidane joined Madrid from Juventus for £46 million in 2001. With Ronaldo having announced his "dream" of joining Madrid, the club expect the 23-year-old to force United's hand over the sale, or put in a transfer request. Madrid may offer a cash-plus-player deal involving Wesley Sneijder or Robinho.
Ronaldo's future continues to dominate the media, with former France talisman Zidane quoted in several newspapers as saying he expects to lose his tag as the most expensive player of all time if the Spanish giants get their man.
The Sun covers Wayne Rooney's continuing honeymoon fun in Las Vegas while, according to The Daily Mail, David Gill is top of Arsenal's wish-list for their vacant chief executive's position.
Jeremy Wilson, The Daily Telegraph
