Argentinian attacker Pablo Aimar has confirmed that he will leave Benfica and become a free agent this summer.
The 33-year-old, who has spent five years in Portugal, says that now is the right time to move on.
"My contract with Benfica would expire last season but we extended it for another year with the idea that it would be my last year here," he told Canal Cuatro.
"I stayed another year because things were good here and I felt they liked me. But this is a cycle that is ending.
"Although they have always treated me well, there are cycles that end and that's what happened to me here. Now I want to keep playing football from July onwards, I just don't know where."
There is expected to be a lot of European interest in Aimar, but the player is likely to prefer a return to his native continent.
"My father and brother talked with Belgrano, I am proud that a team that are one step away from the South American competitions invited me to join them, as like River Plate too, they also contacted us," he added.
"Gremio from Brazil? There are many possibilities, I don't deny it, but I won't decide overnight, I don't want to make a wrong choice."
Aimar has been capped 52 times at senior international level, scoring eight goals. However, he has not featured for Argentina since 2009.
Robert Summerscales
