Real are content to wait for Kaka

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Real Madrid are prepared to wait it out as they bid to land AC Milan playmaker Kaka and Chelsea winger Arjen Robben, president Ramon Calderon has said.

The Spanish champions are keen to bring one or both to the Bernabeu but have run into stiff opposition from the players' clubs as the start of the new season draws near.

Kaka has been a target for Real since Calderon came to office last July promising to land the Brazilian playmaker.

"Last year (sports director) Predrag Mijatovic had negotiations at an advanced stage but it wasn't possible to get him," Calderon said in an interview with sports daily Marca on Friday.

"This year he has taken up the issue again but while Milan wouldn't want to sell him...these situations are resolved when the player goes and asks that they let him go.

"The people round him are always making nods in our direction but it is the player who has to go into the president's office to ask to be allowed to go."

Real are reported to have tabled an offer of more than 80 million euros ($109.5 million) for Kaka even though both the Serie A club and the player have said there is no deal.

"In these situations it isn't possible to say whether it will happen or not until August 31. It was like this with Ronaldo. He signed at three minutes to midnight, I believe," he added.

Negotiations for Dutch international Robben appear to be at a more advanced stage, though Real are reported to be baulking at Chelsea's asking price of around 36 million euros.

"We have gone for Robben but we are not going to go mad to get him, we have to negotiate in a reasonable manner," Calderon said.

A move for Robben's compatriot Royston Drenthe of Feyenoord has also hit a stumbling block.

"We made a reasonable offer for him but they asked for more...we won't go crazy," he said.

"Reinforcements will come soon. We have already brought in four good players, and there will be more, but we aren't in a rush."

Real and new coach Bernd Schuster have signed goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, defenders Pepe and Christoph Metzelder and striker Javier Saviola during the close season.

Calderon said that Real were heavily in debt but still in good shape financially after the best season in their history.

He said the 500 million euros ($683.5 million which the club made through the sale of their city-center training ground, known as Ciudad Deportiva, in 2001 had been spent on new signings and he inherited a debt of 270 million euros when he took over 14 months ago.

"We owe this because we are richer," Calderon told the newspaper before adding: "This debt is very reasonable."

Real Madrid was the world's weathiest club in terms of revenues during the 2005-06 season, according to an annual ranking published by business advisory firm Deloitte.

It generated 292.2 million euros in sales during that season, its second straight season at the top of the ranking.

Real signed France's Zinedine Zidane from Italian side Juventus in 2001 for 75 million euros, the biggest transfer in football history.

The club spent 60 million euros to sign Portugal's Luis Figo, and 50 million euros each to sign Brazil's Ronaldo and England's David Beckham, Calderon said. E-mail to a friend

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