Madrid's spending leaves Barcelona in the shade

MADRID (AP) - An array of blockbuster signings by Real Madrid is already taking the shine off Barcelona's historic season.

Madrid has spent €214 million ($302 million) on five players, bringing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema to the Spanish capital after a trophyless season.

Meanwhile, classic rival Barcelona signed its first player of the offseason on Wednesday after agreeing to pay Inter Milan €4.5 million for left back Maxwell, a 27-year-old Brazilian expected to fill in at defense after the departure of Sylvinho.

It's hardly the start expected for a team that became the first Spanish club to win the league, Copa del Rey and Champions League trophies in one campaign.

"The quality of the players is not because of how expensive he is," Ronaldo said Thursday from Madrid's preseason training camp in Ireland. "Maxwell is a fantastic player and I played against him a couple of times. I'm happy for him, that he signed for Barcelona."

Maxwell's arrival for the next five seasons was met by some question marks, with Barcelona newspaper Sport asking "Who is Maxwell?"

It's a tame statement after a campaign that will be remembered for the exciting, attacking football in coach Pep Guardiola's first season in charge. But Maxwell was a second choice after the Catalan club couldn't reach an agreement with Deportivo La Coruna over left back Filipe Luis.

Now that that position has been filled, the club is also likely to struggle in its bid to sign a striker - amid a contract saga involving Samuel Eto'o - as Madrid's record spending spree has inflated player prices.

Barcelona has extended the Cameroon striker's holidays by one week to July 27 to give it more time to try and find a solution, with Eto'o so far declining Barcelona's two-year extension offer. As it stands, he can leave for free at the end of next season.

Eto'o rebuffed Manchester City, a move which has made Barcelona's pursuit of Valencia striker David Villa or Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan more difficult.

Villa reportedly said he would be ready to pay the difference to leave Valencia, with Barcelona falling short of the club's ?50 million ($71 million) asking price for the Spain striker.

A €36 million ($51 million) buyout clause appears to be Forlan's price with Atletico unwilling to let go of the Spanish league's top scorer.

"We're not selling any player in the squad," Atletico president Enrique Cerenzo said. "(Sergio) Aguero, Forlan, Maxi (Rodriguez) and all the rest fit into our plans."

Regardless of the outcome, Real Madrid was eager for the season to start.

"It's not important for me who Barcelona signs. I'm training here with the best players in the world, and I don't care who the other teams sign," Ronaldo said. "The new players have to show they have been brought in for a reason. We have to think about winning everything."