Soccer: Real to grab world record Zidane - report

Real Madrid are about to sign Zinedine Zidane in a world-record £46m deal, according to Spanish media reports.

Radio station, la Cope, claim that the French international will join the Spanish champions for a new world-record fee.

If the deal goes through it will exceed the previous record of £37m Madrid paid for Barcelona's Luis Figo a year ago.

Juventus have asked for £48m, while Real have bid £40m, reports said.

The official deal, which is expected to be signed on the July 12 in Madrid, could be agreed in the next 24 hours, as Real official Florentino Perez is on his way to Turin to finalise the agreement with Juve director general Luciano Moggi.

Zidane, who is on holiday in Polinesia, has already announced his willingness to join Madrid.

In comments published in La Repubblica newspaper, the 29-year-old said he wanted to join the Spanish champions.

If the deal is confirmed it would represent an about-turn by Juventus, as Moggi had previously insisted that Zidane must stay until his contract expires in 2005