Premier League clubs have been alerted as Barcelona release midfielder Alexander Hleb from his contract.

The former Arsenal player and Belarus international was due to stay with the Spanish and European champions until the end of the season.

Hleb made 35 appearances for Barcelona during the 2008-09 season when the Catalans won a treble of Spanish league, Champions League and Copa del Rey trophies.

But he never fitted into coach Pep Guardiola's plans after that, and was subsequently loaned out to Stuttgart, Birmingham and Wolfsburg.