Deco looks to England and Italy after Barca say he can go

MADRID (Reuters) - 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.