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 "The player will undergo the relevant medical examination in the coming days before signing a contract with the white team for five seasons," Real Madrid confirmed in a statement.

 Drenthe's arrival is billed as the end of the Spanish giant's search for a player to replace veteran Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos, who left the club at the end of last season.

 Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster had explicitly requested a defender for that position, after the young Brazilian Marcelo failed to show a convincing performance in the pre-season.

 The Spanish club negotiated with Feyenoord for weeks, and Drenthe, 20, is thought to have put pressure on the Rotterdam club to let him go for a price estimated at just over 12 million euros (16.4 million dollars).

 Real Madrid had previously reached an agreement with the player, and Feyenoord, which originally demanded 18 million euros (24.6 million dollars) for Drenthe, finally lowered the fee.

 Drenthe was born in Rotterdam and rose through Feyenoord's youth teams, to make his first-team debut in the 2005-2006 season. He consolidated his position last season and played a key role in the Netherlands' campaign to win the European Under-21 Championship earlier this year, which earned him the MVP of the tournament award.

 Schuster now has a long-range left-back, with some limitations in defence but fast and powerful in attack, and with a proven ability to score goals.

 Real Madrid was still trying to secure the signing of another Dutchman, Chelsea's Arjen Robben.

DPA