MILAN - INTER Milan forward Hernan Crespo is not interested in joining Real Madrid on a short term contract and wants a longer term deal through next season, the player's agent was quoted as saying on Thursday.

The Spanish club is interested in signing a striker to replace the injured Ruud van Nistelrooy and reportedly offered the Argentine a six-month contract.

'Hernan is fine at Inter. He'll leave in January only if someone makes a full-term offer for him,' Crespo's agent Fernando Hidalgo said in Thursday's Gazzetta dello Sport after speaking with Real sports director Predrag Mijatovic.

Crespo's contract with Inter expires after this season, and the 33-year-old was upset when he was left off Inter's Champions League roster.

But Mijatovic is seeking a low-cost deal.

At Inter, Crespo has struggled for playing time behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Ricardo Cruz, Amantino Mancini, Ricardo Quaresma and Mario Balotelli.

Cruz's contract also expires after this season, and there has been speculation he could go to AS Roma in January, but Inter has now begun negotiations to extend Cruz's contract for another season, the Gazzetta reported. -- AP