The 25-year-old arrives for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of €37million, though the length of his contract has not yet been confirmed.

Higuain, who had reportedly been a long-term target for Premier League side Arsenal, brings an end to his six and a half year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu to an end as a result of the switch.

The forward scored 122 goals in 266 appearances for the Spanish club in total, winning three Liga titles and one Copa del Rey.

New Napoli boss Rafael Benitez has been busy in the transfer market since his appointment, bringing in a number of players as the club look to build on last season's second-placed finish.

Higuain is joined by former Real Madrid colleagues Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon in arriving at the Stadio San Paolo during the close-season, while Dries Mertens and Pepe Reina have also boosted the squad.

Benitez will hope Higuain can fill the hole left by the recent departure of prolific frontman Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain.