Real still after Gerrard

Big-spenders Real Madrid have not given up on Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard and have made buying him their priority for next year.

"Gerrard is the target for Real," headlined the sports daily AS on Sunday saying that the 24-year-old midfielder would become "the fourth Beatle" at Real after the purchases of David Beckham, Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate.

Real spent much of the summer trying to lure French midielder Patrick Vieira away from Arsenal before finally giving up and As said that the focus was now firmly on getting Gerrard who scored a spectacular goal for his country in the World Cup qualifier away to Austria on Saturday.

As said that also on Real's shopping list was Roma's star striker Francesco Totti who club president Florentino Perez was keen to see linked up with French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

The paper said that talks for a Totti transfer were already well underway with Roma's financial difficulties playing into Real's hands.