Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo 'buys £11m New York apartment'

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly purchased an apartment in New York worth $18.5m (£11.8m).

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner's new US base is said to have inspired the setting for the Hollywood movie Fifty Shades of Grey.

According to the New York Post, the 30-year-old splashed out on the 2,509 sq ft loft, which is located in Trump Tower on 5th Avenue.

The three-bedroom apartment, which provides views of Central Park, the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower, was reportedly formally owned by Italian real-estate businessman Alessandro Pato, who is a business partner of Tower owner Donald Trump.