Deco on the move to England or Italy
Reuters - Thursday 15 May 2008, 16:10
Barcelona midfielder Deco has
been given the go-ahead to talk to other clubs after being told
he can leave the Primera Liga side at the end of the season.
"We will look for an offer that is good for the club and
good for me," the Brazilian-born Portugal player told reporters
at a promotional event on Thursday.
"I will go where I want and not where the club tells me. The
only thing is that I want to continue playing at the top level.
"I will almost certainly go to England or Italy. I won't
stay in Spain as the only club at the same level as Barcelona is
Madrid and I would never go to Madrid."
Deco, who turns 31 in August, joined Barca from Porto in
2004 after helping the Portuguese side win the UEFA Cup and
Champions League as well as three domestic league titles.
He won two league championships with the Catalans in 2005
and 2006 and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the
Champions League final in Paris in 2006.
This season he has struggled with a series of injuries and
has been in the starting lineup for only 14 league matches.
Local media has reported he is one of the players the club is
keen to offload as they attempt to rejuvenate their squad.
Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Lilian Thuram, Eidur Gudjohnsen
and Thierry Henry are amongst the other players to be linked
with moves away from the club.
Barcelona play their final league game of the campaign at
Murcia on Saturday. They must play in next season's Champions
qualifiers having failed to finish in the top two.
Reporting by Simon Baskett