Market abuzz with Rivaldo up for sale

8220;Both parties believe that this decision comes in their best interests,8221; said the statement, which offered no details on the decision to rescind a contract that had one more year left to run.

8220;They wish to express the satisfactory nature of their relationship up to now and the good spirit in which the talks took place.8221; Speculation has been growing in Spain that Barcelona8217;s arch-rivals Real Madrid could step in to sign Rivaldo, a move that would see him reunited with Luis Figo, the Portuguese forward poached by Real two years ago.

Real said in a statement of their own on Sunday they would not make a bid to sign Rivaldo from Barcelona but now he is a free agent the club could in theory move in. It remains to be seen, though, whether Rivaldo has agreed to any clause in his contract with Barcelona barring him from a move to another Spanish club.

Whatever the situation, Rivaldo is unlikely to be without suitors in Italy, where Lazio recently expressed an interest, and England.

Rivaldo joined Barcelona from Deportivo Coruna in 1997 and helped the club to the Spanish League title in each of his first two seasons, scoring 19 goals in his first year and 24 in the second.

His form dipped last year as he struggled to overcome a knee injury but the former World Player-of-the-Year went on to score five goals in the World Cup to help Brazil to the title.

For his first four years at Barcelona he was without doubt the club8217;s most dangerous player.Reuters