El "Atomo" leaves Real

Perica Ognejenovic has parted company with Real Madrid putting an end to a stormy three years at the Bernabeu.

Real have agreed to let the Yugoslav midfielder leave on a free transfer to the club of his choice, including major rivals Barcelona. Ognejenovic arrived at Real as a star signing in 1999 but was hounded by constant injuries and only managed to play 19 games for the blancos during his three years at the club.

Ognejenovic, nicknamed 'El Atomo' together with his lawyer Fernando Perez Espinosa have spent the past few months trying to persuade Real to free the player from the club and the news will be seen as a great victory.

The 23-year-old has received a handful of offers during the past year, including a firm bid from Greek outfit, Panathinaikos earlier this year.