Real Madrid coach wants more reinforcements – report

Real Madrid's German coach Bernd Schuster has asked the Spanish champions' sporting director Pedja Mijatovic to recruit more new talent, sports daily Marca reported Tuesday.

“Pedja, I think we should make an effort when it comes to transfers,” he told Mijatovic before Real Madrid lost 3-2 against Valencia in the first leg of the Spanish Supercup on Sunday, the newspaper said.

Schuster is especially keen to sign new strikers at a time when Spanish media report the club's Argentine forward Javier Saviola could be on his way to English Premiership side Newcastle, it added.

Dutch international midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who signed with Real for five years, has been the club's only new signing for the upcoming season.

Real signed Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay from Racing Santander at the end of the season but under the terms of the deal the player will only join the club in the 2009-10 season.

In addition, midfielders Javi Garcia and Ruben de la Red, who helped Spain win the Euro 2008 title in June, have rejoined Real after a season with Osasuna and Getafe respectively.

Real president Ramon Calderon, who failed in his bid to sign Manchester United's Portuguese playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo, has indicated that there will not be any more signings, saying the squad in “complete and very balanced”.