Real Madrid are eyeing Arsenal fullback Gael Clichy.

The London Evening Standard says Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini has identified Clichy as the solution to the club's defensive problems after sealing an £80million deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

With the Manchester United winger set to follow Kaka to the Bernabeu, Madrid are turning their attention to shoring up a frail backline that has undermined their pursuit of domestic and European glory.

Both big-money deals were in place before Pellegrini took the job last month and the former Villarreal coach has urged returning president Florentino Perez to suspend his Galactico spending spree in order to balance the squad.

Before departing to Santiago in his native Chile for his summer holidays, Pellegrini stressed that current left-back Gabriel Heinze will not figure in his plans and has put forward a formal request that Perez oversees the purchase of Clichy.

The Arsenal left-back endured a difficult campaign last season but is still regarded as an indispensible member of the first-team squad.

The Frenchman turns 24 next month and if the Gunners are reluctant to sell, Real could turn their attention to Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.