Forlan says he is ready to leave Atletico Madrid

Published Oct. 5, 2010 1:03 p.m. ET

foxsports

Diego Forlan is ready to leave Atletico Madrid.

The striker won the Europa League with Atletico last season and stayed with the Spanish club despite attracting admirers with five goals in Uruguay's surprise run to the World Cup semifinals.

The 31-year-old Forlan, who was voted player of the World Cup, is contracted to Atletico for another three years but wants to quit.

''If I have the chance to go, I will go,'' Forlan said. ''When I came here to Europe it's because I left my home and I left everybody so I'm not attached to a team.

''If you have a chance and it is good and it is good for the team and it is good for you, I don't see it as bad, I see it is good and I will move.''

Forlan said in an interview with Sky Sports News on Tuesday that no clubs had tried to sign him.

''It's just the papers,'' Forlan said. ''Never, never until now. The papers say things but at the moment I am here, I have a contract with the club and there's nothing else to say.''

Tottenham was linked with a move for Forlan after the World Cup and Forlan says he would be prepared to return to the English Premier League, where he spent 2 1/2 years with Manchester United.

Forlan struggled to adapt to the English game after United paid Argentina's Independiente about 7 million pounds (then $10.1 million) for him in 2002. He failed to score in his first 27 games over eight months and managed only 10 Premier League goals before switching to Spain's Villarreal.

He has since twice won the golden boot award as Europe's leading scorer and last season led Atletico to its first trophy in 14 years.

''Everybody says things, that maybe you don't want to go back,'' Forlan said. ''The time I had in England was great and I enjoyed it and if I had the chance to go back I would be really happy.''