May 14, 2008 5:15 PM

SOURCE:
goal.com

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Deco To Leave Barcelona

Deco will be leaving Barcelona in the summer and has held meetings with his agent to find himself a new club in either Serie A or the Premier League.

The Portuguese international believes that the chapter of his life at Camp Nou is finished and he is looking forward to a new challenge, with various clubs maintaining an interest.

While claiming it is his decision, Deco was told by the club that he would not be part of the new look squad having failed to regain his fitness in the second half of the current campaign.

In December he announced that if the club did not win anything and things did not go as he hoped then he would look for something new: "To play for Barça is a dream that I have completed," he explained. "I came here and was successful.

"This is my fourth season and it has been fantastic overall, but we is we do not win something and things do not go wel, then I shall go."

Deco is one of the players that is reported to have abused Frank Rijkaard's lenient system of allowing players to choose their own schedule and he was warned about his behaviour last season.

Things did improve this term and, along with Ronaldinho, was told that he could not play again for the first team until he had returned to full fitness after missing so many sessions.

Pep Guardiola may not have taken the reins at Camp Nou yet, but he has told the board that while he recognises Deco's undoubted talent, he does not believe that the midfielder will ever return to the form he showed two years ago.

Inter and Manchester United had previously expressed an interest, but it is unlikely that the English club would make a move for him, while the Italians could still be tempted.