Real Madrid in desperate bid to keep Monaco target Cristiano Ronaldo

The French team are ready to make the Portugal international the best paid player in the world

Cristiano Ronaldo (GETTY IMAGES)

Real Madrid last night insisted they would do “everything possible” to negotiate a new deal with Cristiano Ronaldo with Monaco ready to exploit any further breakdown between the two parties.

As revealed in today's Independent, the super-rich French side are ready to make a world-record £85m bid and offer of a tax-free salary of £17m to the Portuguese winger, who has two years left on his Madrid contract and has not yet signed a new one.

Madrid president Florentino Perez, though, has insisted that he will leave no stone unturned in his attempts convince Ronaldo to stay this summer, to avoid losing their best and most marketable player.

“I would bet Cristiano will retire at Real Madrid because it’s the natural thing,” Perez told Marca last night.

“We will negotiate the new contract before the start of La Liga and I am convinced that everything will come out well.”

“To renew Cristiano before the start of the season is my desire and my ambition. We all want that he retires at Real Madrid. We will do everything possible to make it happen.”