Real Madrid have sent a doctor to examine Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of his world record move from Manchester United. The Daily Mail says it has long been said that there is a pre-contract agreement to sign Manchester United star Ronaldo - understood to be set at £75m.

The contract, which United have previously denied the existence of, would have to be executed before June 30, with Madrid paying a £26m penalty if they broke the terms.

Perez is understood to be unhappy at such a high fee and has reportedly been in talks with United chief executive David Gill over the last few days in an attempt to renegotiate the deal.

But the Barclays Premier League champions have refused to budge other than agreeing to take the payments spread over five years, leaving Perez to reluctantly sanction the transfer rather pay £26m and have no player.

El Mundo Deportivo says that a representative of the club and a doctor have been sent to meet the 24-year-old in Los Angeles, where he is recuperating after injury forced him out of the Portugal squad.

His prospective new employers want to examine the suspected hernia to see if it needs surgery, which may rule him out of the start of the season, but they could move quickly to finalise the deal if they are satisfied. He would receive about £200,000 a week on a similar deal to Kaka.