Alexander Hleb will not be moving to the Premier League next summer and will instead return to Barcelona at the end of his loan spell with Stuttgart. The former Arsenal midfielder has been heavily linked with both Manchester City and Aston Villa but appears to have his heart set on proving himself at the Nou Camp despite limited opportunities in his first year.
Hleb left Arsenal just as he was imposing his midfield capabilities on the Premier League taking his chances on a dream move to Barcelona. However, with first team opportunities limited due to the outstanding form of Lionel Messi and company the Belarussian was left to lick his wounds from the stands having been dropped from Pep Guardiola’s squad for the Champions League final against Manchester United. Having faced his owners in this term’s competition for Stuttgart it appears that the 28-year-old is once again ready to test himself in the competitive Catalan cauldron despite the possible offers from Manchester City and Aston Villa.
Reflecting on the increased speculation which has seen Premier League clubs lining up for the dynamic midfielder, agent Uli Ferber rejected the suggestion that Manchester City and Aston Villa stand a chance of snapping up Hleb.
"At the moment from July 1 he will be playing again at Barcelona.
"This [moving to England] is just speculation and we will not be talking about things like that.
"Finally he will return to Barcelona. Is there a chance he will stay at Stuttgart? No. He is under contract with Barcelona and he is looking forward to playing there."