Real Madrid showed the Premiership how far it has still to go to join the mega-money league after admitting yesterday that they were in talks to sign Juventus's France international midfielder Zinedine Zidane for a world-record fee of £41.6m.
One of Zidane's potential new team-mates in the famous all-white is Luis Figo with whom Real Madrid hold the current world transfer record of £37m. By contrast Manchester United hope to break the British transfer record by paying £24m for Lazio's Juan Veron, having broken it in the spring with the £19m for Ruud van Nistelrooy.
"There have been lots of rumours spread concerning my possible transfer to Real Madrid," said Zidane. "I can confirm today that there are negotiations between Juventus managers and Real Madrid. However, nothing has been signed yet."
The Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez and their general sporting director Jorge Valdano flew to Italy yesterday to continue discussions. The clubs must now wait for Zidane to return from holiday in Tahiti. He is expected back on July 12.
The British transfer record for a goalkeeper, the £7.8m paid by United for Fabien Barthez, has also been left in the shade. Juventus yesterday shattered the world record by signing Parma's Gianluigi Buffon in a £32.6m deal.
