Real Madrid will have to pay Manchester United forward Cristiano
Ronaldo a fee of around £26m if they fail to sign him during the
summer, according to the Spanish club's vice-president Fernando
Tapias.
GettyImages
Ronaldo: May have himself a great deal.
The Madrid official was asked about the infamous, but as yet
unseen, pre-contract agreement for the FIFA World Player of the
Year and if it stipulated that Madrid would have to pay €90m to
sign Ronaldo or a €30m penalty if they did not.
"Yes...but that is not our fault," Tapias told Spanish Radio
station Cadena COPE. "Ronaldo is a great player. I
remember when I was last at the club and Figo was here telling
people about him. He is one of the best players in the world.
"That he has a special character and that the price is
exorbitant is also true. Maybe Fifa should put a ¬50 million price
cap on transfers."
Newly-elected Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has made no
secret of his intentions to sign the world's biggest names this
summer and has openly stated he wants AC Milan star Kaka and
Ronaldo to head to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Perez, who presided over the galacticos era of Zindine
Zidane and Luis Figo during his first stint in charge, said: "The
best players in the world, the ones that have won the Fifa World
Player of the Year award are Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo - they are
the players Real Madrid fans demand.
"We have to will to complete the transfer of Kaka, we are not
nervous and I hope in a few days we will happily announce the
deal.
"I have said Ronaldo does interest us. We have to resolve this
and the other big signings in this month of June.
"It seems in the case of Ronaldo he does have a get-out clause
and it means if the player brings the money stipulated in the
clause he can go."
Madrid are expected to complete the £60m signing of Brazil
international Kaka on Monday.