Real Madrid make 30m-euro offer for Vieira

Spanish giants Real Madrid have made a 30-million-euro (36m dollar) offer for Arsenal's World Cup-winning France midfielder Patrick Vieira, reports said.

Agreement is "imminent" and a meeting between officials from both clubs will take place in the next 48 hours to finalise the deal, the sports dailies AS and Marca reported on Tuesday.

"The dossier is in the final phase," a Real Madrid source told Marca.

Marca said that Arsenal, who had initially been looking for 42 million euros for the 28-year-old Frenchman, were now ready to part with him for 36 million euros (43m dollars).

Real coach Antonio Camacho is keen to have Vieira in his side for their Champions League preliminary round tie next week with the registration deadline for players set for this Thursday.

Vieira is under contract with the Gunners until 2007, but is reported to be ready to quit Highbury, where he has nothing left to prove domestically having now won both of England's major domestic honours.

Vieira has yet to play for Premiership champions Arsenal in their build-up to the new campaign because of a thigh injury picked up while playing for France at the European Championship in June.