Motta as good as gone....Good player and still only 24. A new club could reignite his career
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=441622&cc=5901MADRID, June 26 (Reuters) - Barcelona's Brazilian-born midfielder Thiago Motta is surplus to requirements at the club, sports director Txiki Begiristain said on Tuesday.
The Catalan side have just completed the signing of Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure from Monaco for over 10 million euros ($13.46 million).
'With the signing of Toure and the presence of Rafael Marquez and Edmilson, once he recovers from his injury, the defensive midfield position will be well covered,' he told a news conference.
When asked why he had excluded Motta's name from the list of players who can play in that role, Begiristain said: 'We have been saying for four years that Motta could be one of the best players in the world for this position.
'But we had a chat with Thiago a few months ago and came to the conclusion that perhaps it was best for him to find a solution outside the club.'
The 24-year-old was given a few days off in March after missing a training session without permission. Coach Frank Rijkaard said the player needed time to get himself together.
Motta later apologised in a news conference and said he had suffered a loss of confidence after being heavily criticised for some of his performances.
He only made five league starts for Barca last season.