Deco wants to leave Chelsea

Chelsea midfielder Deco has revealed he hopes to leave the club this summer and return to his native Brazil.

Chelsea midfielder Deco has revealed he hopes to leave the club this summer and return to his native Brazil.

Deco, who represented Portugal after moving to the country and gaining citizenship, joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2008, on a three-year contract.

He has not been a first-choice member of Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI this season, starting just 10 Premier League games, and claims a move to Brazil would be his preference at the end of the season.

Quoted in The Sun, he said: "I want to go back to Brazil. I still have a couple of good years of high-level football in me but I want to be near my kids."

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He added: "Ideally, I'd like to go after the World Cup and I've been talking to Chelsea about it."

Deco developed his career in Europe after struggling to make the grade as a teenager in Brazil, and starred for both Porto and Barcelona before moving to Stamford Bridge.

The 32-year-old, born and raised in the state of Sao Paulo, could sign off by helping the club win trophies at home and in Europe.

Then he hopes to be given the all-clear to find a new club.

He said: "It will all depend on Chelsea - if the club release me or let me go on loan."