Real Madrid's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo is essential for the club's image and financial interests, their president in waiting Florentino Pérez has said.

Pérez, the overwhelming favourite to regain the Real presidency this week, said the Spanish club should have bought Ronaldo in 2007 and said the signing of Manchester United's world player of the year was as essential as the purchase of David Beckham in 2003.

"Madrid should have bought Cristiano Ronaldo as Beckham's replacement two years ago," Pérez said in the Sunday Times as he outlined a vision for the club that would once again involve glamorous galáctico signings that could attract sizeable global commercial income.

"When Beckham arrived, our sponsors significantly raised their payments to us and we rescued the finances of the club. What happened in the last few years is that the club did not reinvest in the type of players to continue with that model. I want to put that right. If Cristiano Ronaldo comes in, we would have a Nike-endorsed player putting on an adidas shirt every week."

Pérez has already outlined plans to bring Kaka and Franck Ribéry to the Bernabéu from Milan and Bayern Munich respectively. Ronaldo himself was evasive about his future plans in the aftermath of United's Champions League final defeat by Barcelona in Rome.