Real set for busy week offloading unwanted players

MADRID, Aug 25 (Reuters) After spending over 62 million euros 79.22 million dollars on reinforcing their squad during the close-season, Real Madrid are working against the clock to offload players they now believe are surplus to requirements.

Uruguay international defender Carlos Diogo and several former youth team players have already been despatched to other clubs but attention is now focused on bigger names such as Ronaldo, Jonathan Woodgate, Thomas Gravesen and Pablo Garcia.

Ronaldo's future at the Bernabeu was thought to be in the balance after Real had begun negotiations with AC Milan, but the Italian club said on Friday that they had broken off talks.

However, Real have said that the Serie A side's city rivals Inter Milan are also interested in the Brazilian striker.

Woodgate joined Real from Newcastle for close to 20 million euros in August 2004 but has played just nine league games since then after suffering a series of thigh injuries.

Real are reported to be keen to loan Woodgate out to a Premier League side in order to test his fitness over the course of this season, with his home-town club Middlesbrough being the favourites to take the 26-year-old.

Gravesen, who joined Real from Everton in January 2005, has faded out of the reckoning since the arrival of new coach Fabio Capello and after a series of run-ins with his team mates his days at the Bernabeu are numbered.

The 30-year-old has returned to Denmark while he mulls over possible moves to Newcastle United and Celtic.

Uruguay international Pablo Garcia is set to follow the Dane out the door after just a season at Real.

Like Gravesen, Garcia has been deemed surplus to requirements following Capello's decision to sign central midfielders Emerson and Mahamadou Diarra.

With the European transfer deadline expiring at midnight on August 31, Real have a hectic week ahead of them.

REUTERS PM RK1820