Manchester Utd accept £80m Cristiano Ronaldo bid from Real Madrid

Manchester United have given Cristiano Ronaldo permission to speak to Real Madrid after accepting an £80m bid from the Spanish club for the player, The Guardian says.

"At Cristiano's request – who has again expressed his desire to leave – and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player," reads a statement on United's website.

According to the Premier League champions, a deal is expected to be concluded by 30 June. Should the deal go through, it will smash the world-record transfer record, which was set earlier this week when Real agreed to pay Milan £56m for the Brazilian Kaka.

One player the Spanish giants appear to have given up on signing, however, is the winger Franck Ribéry.

"Ribéry belongs to Bayern and Bayern do not want to sell," said Florentino Pérez, the Real president. "I have to respect that. If they change their minds, it will be a different matter."

The club could also miss out on David Villa. The Spain striker is keen on a move to the Bernabéu but Real have so far been put-off signing him due to the fee being demanded by Villa's current club, Valencia.

"[Villa] is an excellent striker but his price is prohibitive," said Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano. "He really interests us, but so long as it is for a reasonable figure."

Villa's agent, José Luis Tamargo, is still negotiating with Real, while conversations are on-going between the two clubs. Madrid want to include Alvaro Negredo in a deal in which they would also offer Valencia £30m.

Should a deal fail to be done, Chelsea is the most likely destination for the player.