Agent: Ronaldinho exit rumors unfounded

(CNN) -- Ronaldinho's agent has played down growing speculation that the Brazil forward will be leaving Barcelona at the end of this season.

The former World Player of the Year's brother and agent Roberto de Assis has recently been seen in both England and Italy, where he met with officials from Manchester City and AC Milan.

Both clubs have expressed an interested in signing the 28-year-old, who has been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp after struggling to regain his best form in the past two seasons.

However, De Assis told Spanish football magazine Don Balon that the meetings were "personal matters" and not related to Ronaldinho's immediate future.

"My work is to form relationships within the world of football," he said. "It is normal for me to travel to speak with certain people about personal matters when I believe it to be necessary."

"He has a contract until 2010 and I'm not looking for anything."

Ronaldinho has been ruled out for the rest of the Spanish season with a torn leg muscle -- the latest in a series of fitness problems that have plagued him in the past year.

He has played only 13 of 31 La Liga matches, with Barcelona now seven points adrift of bitter rivals and defending champions Real Madrid with seven games to play.

"Ronaldinho is a little down at present. He has spent five weeks having specific treatment for a problem and now this has happened," De Assis told Don Balon.

"What hurts him most is not being able to help his team-mates at an important time."

Ronaldinho was again strongly linked with a switch to big-spending Premier League side Chelsea during the January transfer window, but De Assis reiterated that he had unlikely played his last game for Barca -- who he joined in 2003.

"It's a little early to say that. I hope he can be playing again soon. I think a player who has been in the hearts of Barca fans and this group of players deserves to leave on a high," De Assis said.

"Decisions need to be taken calmly at the right time, not in the heat of the moment or in difficult times." E-mail to a friend

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