£54 MILLION

Real Madrid have stepped up their attempt to sign Cristiano Ronaldo by meeting his agent and agreeing a course of action that directors at the Santiago Bernabéu believe will end with the Portugal winger becoming their latest galáctico

Franco Baldini, right-hand man to Madrid's sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, and the man who negotiates all of the club's signings, met Jorge Mendes in London last Wednesday.

Sources at Madrid claim that during the meeting, Baldini confirmed that Ronaldo is their No1 priority for next season and informed Mendes that they would be prepared to meet Manchester United's asking price for the winger - expected to be somewhere in the region of €80m (£54m). They would also be prepared to beat any contract offer made by Manchester United, matching Ronaldo's salary to that of the galácticos: €6m (£4m) a year, after tax.

While he warned Baldini that United would fight to keep Ronaldo, Mendes apparently told him that the winger is keen to join Madrid and would reject the contract offer currently on the table at Old Trafford. Ronaldo's wage demands on a new United contract are believed to be in the region of £140,000 a week.

Madrid also insist that Mendes has reassured them that Ronaldo will force an exit from Old Trafford, although a second meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson is expected in the next 10 days.