Cristiano Ronaldo should be the best-paid player in the world, says Real Madrid president Florentino Perez

Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez has stated his desire to ward off suitors for his club's prized asset Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo has been the subject of transfer speculation this month, with rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

But Perez is desperate to keep the Portuguese attacker at the Bernabéu, and has suggested that the club will offer Ronaldo a record contract to retaun his services.

"I would like Cristiano Ronaldo to be the best-paid player in the world," said Perez. "We’re going to do everything at our hand to make him happy."

Ronaldo moved to Spain from Manchester United for a fee of £80m in 2009. Since then he has scored 146 goals in 135 games for Madrid.

He claimed to be unhappy at the club earlier in this season, but went on to have another spectacular 

campaign, despite Real missing out on silverware under Jose Mourinho.

Perez played down the widely-reported player unrest under Mourinho, saying that Real's players had nothing bit praise for their departing manager.

"The players only had good words about Mourinho," he said. "They told me that he was the best.

"We don’t know who will be the new coach. We will talk about that during the next week. But we want Zinedine Zidane to be the leader of the project."