Associated Press

Madrid, May 18:

Ronaldinho said he has no intention of leaving FC Barcelona, despite reports that the club may be forced to sell him this summer. “I’m very happy here as I’ve always said. My head is only in Barcelona. I’m going to work to stay here for a long time because I began a story here and I’m going to finish it,” Ronaldinho was quoted as saying by Barcelona-based daily Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday. Ronaldinho, whose spectacular displays in his first season have made him Barcelona’s major asset, has a five-year contract which carries a $120 million escape clause. Barcelona president Joan Laporta and vice president Sandro Rosell recently suggested that the Brazilian could leave this summer if a club — possibly high-spending Chelsea — is prepared to buy him out of his contract.

Barcelona beat Manchester United and Real Madrid last summer to sign Ronaldinho from Paris Saint-Germain for $28 million at the time and up to another $5.6 million depending on the Catalan team’s future results. Ronaldinho, whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, scored his 15th goal of the season on Sunday to earn Barcelona a 1-0 win over Racing de Santander which lifted it into second place above Real Madrid. Barcelona will finish runner-up behind Valencia if it wins its final match of the season against Zaragoza next on Sunday.