Confronted by the conflicting figures being quoted for the signing of Gareth Bale, Real Madrid have assured Cristiano Ronaldo that he remains the most expensive signing in history.

Madrid have insisted that the price they paid for Bale was €91m (£76.6m), less than the €96m (£80.9m) they spent on bringing in the Portugal international from Manchester United in 2009.

Los Blancos are aiming to quell any doubts the Portugal star might have harboured about the issue – particularly in view of Tottenham Hotspur’s insistence that the price paid for Bale was a world-record €101m (£85.1m).

Some weeks ago, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez successfully brought negotiations over the renewal of Ronaldo’s contract back on course.

The talks are now closing in on completion, and Madrid do not want anything to complicate this process. For this reason, the club is at pains to avoid the possibility of Ronaldo feeling aggrieved at the Bale fee.

One of the reasons for Ronaldo’s reluctance to renew his deal at Real a few months ago was that he did not feel valued at the club. Pérez gave his word to the player and his agent, Jorge Mendes, that he would receive the kind of treatment that the club’s star performer deserves. That’s why Madrid have felt the need to keep Ronaldo abreast of the cost of signing Bale.

Meanwhile, there have also been contrasting reports over Bale’s salary at the Bernabéu. Real Madrid have stated that the Welshman will earn €7m (£5.9m) a year after tax, while that figure has been placed at €10m (£8.4m) in England.