Real Madrid wants 'useful' Geremi back

Real Madrid will give another chance to Cameroon international Geremi Njitap to prove himself in the Spanish capital, according to sports daily As on Sunday.

The utility player was loaned to English Premiership side Middlesbrough last summer, and it wants Geremi to stay on Teeside, but is not prepared to pay his asking price according Real director general Jorge Valdano.

"They (Middlesbrough) have an option to buy him for 14 million euros ($15 million) and we are not going to let him go for less than that," the 1986 Argentine World Cup winner told As.

"They want him at a cheaper price but he has had a great season at Middlesbrough and we think that he could be very useful here next season. He could be the solution to some of the problems we have in the center of the field and at the back," added Valdano.

As reported that Middlesbrough has offered 8 million euros ($8.5 million) for the 24-year-old player, who spent three seasons with Real after arriving in the summer of 1999.

He was part of squads that won the 2000 Olympic Games tournament and also the 2000 and 2002 European Champions League, but he found himself down the Real pecking order last season and didn't play a single minute in the league.