CRISTIANO Ronaldo is poised to start life as a Real Madrid player next week after the Spanish giants finalised his world-record transfer from Manchester United.
Just over two weeks after United confirmed they had accepted an ?80 million ($190m) bid from Madrid for the Portugal winger, both clubs announced on Friday night they had put the finishing touches on his switch to the Bernabeu.
Although there was no reference to an agreement over personal terms with Ronaldo, Madrid, who have been in talks with the player's representatives for the last fortnight, said that the 24-year-old's contract will run until 2015 and that he will be presented at the start of next month.
Reports in the Spanish media claim the former Sporting Lisbon player will be paid around 13m euros ($26.6m) a year.
Ronaldo's deal will see him move ahead of current soccer salary king, Inter-Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who earns 12m euros a year.
Ronaldo had been on around 7.5m euros a year at Old Trafford.
A statement on Madrid's website read: 'Real Madrid and Manchester United have signed a final agreement for the transfer of the rights of Cristiano Ronaldo from 1 Jul.
'The player will be tied to Real Madrid for the next six seasons and will be presented on 6 Jul at the Santiago Bernabeu.'
United said on their website: 'Cristiano Ronaldo's departure is all but done and dusted after Real Madrid and Manchester United finalised the agreement for his transfer on Friday evening.
New employers
'The Portuguese winger was the subject of a world-record ?80m offer from the Spanish club on 11 Jun. He has since been on holiday but a return to work with new employers now beckons, with the sale set to be completed on 1 Jul.'
Reports said on Friday that United are set to be paid in full by next week.
The deal for Ronaldo means Madrid will break the world-record transfer fee for the fourth time - all sanctioned by president Florentino Perez.
During Perez's first tenure in the position, from 2000-2006, Madrid signed Luis Figo from Barcelona for ?37m in 2000 and then a year later brought in Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for ?46m.
Then just a week after returning to the presidency at the start of this month, Perez captured the signing of Brazilian ace Kaka from AC Milan for a fee reportedly in the region of ?59m.
Perez and Madrid have now smashed all of those price tags though by bringing Fifa World Player of the Year Ronaldo to Spain.
So Ronaldo has come a long way from that slightly gawky 18-year-old who performed almost as many dives as step-overs, and whose final product was somewhat lacking.
He has come a long way, too, from that hate figure for English football, vilified for his part in Wayne Rooney's sending-off during the 2006 World Cup.
Now, quite simply, the career of the best recognised player in the world, is set for another chapter.
So what will Madrid be getting for their money?
He has it all - proficient with either foot, tremendous speed, brilliant dribbling ability, a vicious shot, a free-kick style that he alone has mastered, a goal-poacher's nose, a powerful physique and strength in the air, which was highlighted by heading home the opening goal in last year's Champions League final.
He even manages that little bit of luck all great players seem to have - his penalty miss in the Moscow shoot-out against Chelsea will largely be forgotten as his team-mates got him out of trouble.
Does he have a weakness? Not even his temperament any more, as the occasional tantrums that sometimes surfaced in the past now appear under control.
Ronaldo, in fact, is as close as you can get to the complete footballer.
