Unhappy Makelele wants new deal at Real

Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele wants to leave the Spanish champions unless he is given a substantial pay rise, his agent Marc Roger said on Wednesday.

"If they continue to pay him the same amount I'm sure he will not stay," Roger told reporters after a meeting with the club's sporting director Jorge Valdano at the Bernabeu.

Roger said he had told Real the 30-year-old international, whose contract with the club does not expire until 2006, had received several offers from leading European clubs.

"Lots of teams in England and Italy want him, including AC Milan and Chelsea," he said.

Sports daily Marca reported on its website on Wednesday that Chelsea had offered 10 million euros ($11.28 million) for the midfielder and were prepared to give him a much higher salary.

"He is the best player in the world in his position and is happy at Real in terms of the sporting side of things, but he is not happy on the economic side and wants a contract that corresponds to his abilities," added Roger.

"And, as Real Madrid know, a player who isn't happy is not a good player. They should either revise his contract or sell him."

The French midfielder, one of Real's most important players since his arrival from Celta Vigo three years ago, is one of the lowest paid squad members and has voiced his dissatisfaction with his contract on several occasions.

"He can't carry on like this," said Roger. "There are players in the squad like (David) Beckham who are earning five times as much as him."

Roger said he would be meeting with Real again next week to try and resolve the matter, but it would be a major surprise if they decided to release such an important player.