Luis Figo hints he may leave Real Madrid for new challenges

After nearly four years with Real Madrid, Portugal’s international midfielder Luis Figo has hinted he would like to move away from Spanish football.

"At the moment I am not considering leaving Real Madrid but I have been in Spain for a long time," he said in an interview with Portuguese television channel SIC.

"I can’t deny I would like to try something else. The change would not be for economic motives but for the need to face new challenges as I have won everything you can win in Spain."

The 31-year-old has a contract with Real Madrid until 2006. He has made more than 100 league appearances for the reigning Spanish champions since his controversial signing from bitter rivals Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

Later that year he was named as the European Player of the Year and in 2001 he was named FIFA World Player of the year. In 2002 Figo was in the Madrid side that won the European Cup for a record ninth time.

Figo moved to Barcelona in 1995 from Sporting, the Lisbon-based club where he started his football career at the age of 13, in 1995. He made 172 league games with Barcelona, and scored 30 goals, before his £37mil transfer to Real Madrid.

Manchester United, Chelsea and AC Milan have all reportedly made contact with Figo in the past month about an end-of-season move. Figo, however, has denied the existence of any transfer talks.

In the television interview, Figo once again held out the possibility that he would end his career by playing for a Portuguese team.

"It is something I would like to see happen but only if at that time I am in good physical condition. I would not want to do it just to do it," he said.

Figo added his preference would be to return to Sporting, where he made 124 league appearances and scored 14 times before moving to Barcelona. Sporting currently lie second in the Portuguese Premier League, five points behind reigning champions FC Porto.