Spanish league is best, says Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo believes that Spain's La Liga will leave its English counterpart trailing in terms of quality next season following Real Madrid's spending spree. Madrid have taken the transfer market by storm over the last month and are close to breaking the £200m mark on signings after agreeing deals for Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema and Raul Albiol.

More big-name arrivals are believed to be in the pipeline, as returning Madrid president Florentino Perez emphatically sets about fulfilling his election promise of a "spectacular sporting project" to get the Spanish giants back to the top after a number of years of underachievement, most notably in Europe.

"The Premier League is a very good competition, but I think that the Spanish league is going to have a little more quality because of the players that are arriving," said Ronaldo. "Both leagues are going to be very good, but I think that with Florentino Perez's signings the Spanish league is superior to the English. It's going to be a magnificent competition in Spain this year. All the players have a lot of quality and the referees protect the players more."

Much is expected of Madrid next season as they look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, which not only saw them finish empty-handed but also ended up with arch rivals Barcelona walking off with an unprecedented treble.

Adding to the pressure is that the Champions League final will be held at the Bernabeu. "To win the Champions League in our stadium would be a great dream. I think it's possible with all the players we have," said the Portugal international. "[However], you need to recognise that the champions, Barça, had a great season and played very well. They have a great team and a magnificent coach.

"It's going to be a very important duel for Spanish and European football and very nice for all of us. I think it will be a great season."

The 24-year-old, who will be officially presented as a Madrid player tonight, added: "My hope is to win at Real everything that I won during my time at Manchester United."