Madrid, July 31 (DPA) Massive global media attention has been focused on the summer star signings of Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Barca raised eyebrows by swapping top scorer Samuel Eto'o for Inter Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic - plus almost 50 million euros (70.30 million dollars).

Real, for their part, have engaged in the most profligate spending spree ever seen in world football, splashing out more than 220 million euros on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Raul Albiol, Esteban Granero and Alvaro Arbeloa.

In addition, the whites are close to signing midfielder Xabi Alonso from Liverpool, which will take their spending above 250 million euros.

The twin giants, however, have been working even harder to offload unwanted players than to sign new ones.

This is the case every summer, when Barca and Real make room for the newcomers by selling off several rejects. These are good players, but players who have not fitted in at the Camp Nou or the Estadio Bernabeu for one reason or other - and players who might turn out to be bargains for other clubs.

Barca have almost finished their 'Operation Exit'. On Thursday Alexander Hleb agreed to go out on loan to Vfb Stuttgart for a season, thus returning to the club where he first caught the eye.

Hleb - who hardly got on the field last season - refused to be part of the Eto'o-Ibrahimovic deal, preferring to return to the Bundesliga.

Defender Martin Caceres, another player unwanted by Barca coach Josep Guardiola, is all set to go on loan to Juventus.

In June, Guardiola managed to offload goalkeeper Albert Jorquera, defender Victor Sanchez and left-back Sylvinho.

The 'Operation Exit' of Real Madrid has been much more difficult and numerous.