Tarragona take Portillo on loan.

Spanish striker Javier Portillo will join newly-promoted Gimnastic Tarragona on a two-year deal from Real Madrid, the nine-times European champions said on Monday. Real did not reveal the fee involved but said that they would retain an option to buy back the 24-year-old.

They would also qualify for compensation if the player was sold on to another club.

Portillo broke a stack of Real Madrid goalscoring records at junior level but in the face of competition from the club's collection of top-class strikers he was unable to carve out a place for himself in the first team.

He was loaned out to Italian side Fiorentina in July 2004 and then had a spell at Club Bruges in Belgium before returning to Real during the close season.

Tarragona return to the Primera Liga following a 56-year absence after finishing as runners-up to Recreativo Huelva in the second division last season.