Cristiano Ronaldo to join Real Madrid for £80m

Finally, after the years of speculation, claim, counter-claim, rumour and denial, it looks certain Cristiano Ronaldo will join Real Madrid. Manchester United have accepted a world record bid of £80m for the Portuguese winger.

All that remains is for Ronaldo to agree personal terms with Real - his wages are expected to be in the region of £200,000 a week, almost double his current earnings - and the deal is likely to be concluded by the end of June.

It was reported recently that Real Madrid stood to pay a £26m penalty if Ronaldo was not signed by the end of the month, under the terms of a 'pre-contract' between the Spanish club's former president Ramon Calderon and Ronaldo's representative Jorge Mendes.

Real Madrid's new president Florentino Perez, who took over from Calderon just days ago, has sidestepped that problem by setting up the biggest transfer in history, and the club's second big signing this week: on Monday they agreed a fee of £56m for Brazilian ace Kaka from AC Milan.

The deal with Manchester United brings to an end one of the longest transfer sagas in footballing history. Ronaldo, 23, who joined Manchester for £12.25m in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon when he was just 18, became the world's greatest player under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson. He scored
117 goals in 290 games for United, and was crowned World and European player of the year.

In the 2006 World Cup he became a villain in England after Portugal knocked England out of the competition and he winked at his compatriots after getting his United team mate Wayne Rooney sent off. Ronaldo responded by helping United to the Premier league and European Cup double - hitting 42 goals in the 2007-08 season - and to an historic treble in the season just finished.

But he been high maintenance for coaching staff and colleagues at Manchester, with a reputation for petulance. As for Madrid, the era of the Galacticos is well and truly back.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:Mark Ogden, Daily Telegraph: "Ronaldo has done little to hide his desire to play for Real and his behaviour towards the end of last season, when he reacted angrily to being substituted against Manchester City at Old Trafford, highlighted cracks in his relationship with manager Sir Alex Ferguson."

Comment, ESPNStar.com: "The second 'galacticos' era under Florentino Perez kicked off on Monday with the signing of Brazil playmaker Kaka, and the new Bernabeu supremo now appears on the verge of another massive coup. So what will Madrid be getting for their money? He has it all - proficient with either foot, tremendous speed, brilliant dribbling ability, a vicious shot, a free-kick style that he alone has mastered, a goal-poacher's nose, a powerful physique and strength in the air."

Frank Praverman, the Times: "News of the transfer is bound to be greeted with some scepticism by United fans who have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of the Fifa World Player of the Year."

Daily Mail: "It is understood the deal was agreed months ago when Ramon Calderon was at the Bernabeu helm and now the new president Florentino Perez has rubber-stamped the deal after failing in the last few days to negotiate down the pre-agreed fee."

Mike Ingham, BBC Radio Five Live: "This could mean they might be able to keep Carlos Tevez [and] maybe Wayne Rooney can be liberated."

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