Published 3/21/2007 8:58:12 PM by Staff from AFP

Real Madrid are ready to pay Manchester United a club record 80 million euros (105 million dollars) to land Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Spanish sports daily AS reported Wednesday.

Ronaldo's future at Old Trafford has been a constant subject for speculation with Spanish media saying for months he will end up at the Bernabeu.

If Real do stump up and convince the 22-year-old starlet his future does lie in La Liga then the Spanish giants would smash the former record of 75 million euros paid to Juventus to land now retired French star Zinedine Zidane in 2001, AS said.

AS and rival sports daily Marca said last week that Ronaldo, whose contract at Old Trafford runs to 2010, wanted to come to Spain with Real or Barcelona his mooted destinations.

Contract talks over an extension at United have not yet reached a breakthrough but on Sunday United coach Alex Ferguson voiced confidence his star will stay with the English Premiership leaders for years to come.

"I'm confident he will be a United player," Ferguson said regarding a proposed two-year extension to Ronaldo's existing deal.

The player has hit 16 goals this season but was involved in a "diving" storm after winning the penalty which saw United see off Middlesrbough to boo their passage to the FA Cup semi-final. Ronaldo himself converted the spot-kick.

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