Real Madrid bid £18M for Arsenal's Vieira

Real Madrid have made a formal £18 million offer for Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira.

The Sun says there is no chance of Real's bid being accepted - but the club hope they can bargain with Arsenal and meet them in the £20-22m bracket.

Real acted after coach Jose Camacho urged president Florentino Perez to sign Vieira, 28, now.

The coach is keen to have Vieira registered by the Champions League deadline of midday on Thursday so he can play in next week's qualifier against FC WIT Georgia or Wisla Krakow.

A stumbling block could be wages, with Vieira said to be demanding in the same £100,000-a- week pay bracket as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Raul and Ronaldo. But Perez is offering only £65,000.