Ghana midfielder Mubarak Wakaso has ruled out joining Spanish giants Barcelona insisting he wants to see out his contract with rival club Espanyol.
The highly rated Ghana international has been on the radar of the Catalan giants for sometime, and has also attracted admiring glances from English sides Arsenal and Chelsea.
With Alex Song’s future far from certain at the Nou Camp, speculation that the Spanish club are on the lookout for midfield additions has gone into overdrive.
With competition for places far stiffer than at the Emirates Stadium, Song has been restricted to just 11 La Liga starts, three of which have been at centre-back.
Barcelona were said to be plotting a move for Wakaso following his excellent showing for Ghana at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and for Espanyol in La Liga.
Although he is regarded as a key first-team player by Espanyol, the Catalan club are reportedly willing to listen to offers in the region of $30m.
However, Wakaso says he wants to stay at the club for the next four years.
“I have a contract for four years and I think I’ll stay at Espanyol. It does not worry me that the club has the option of selling players,” Wakaso told a press conference in Spain.
“I respect the team, the coach and my team-mates,” he said.
Depsite the claims by Wakaso, Espanyol could force him to move if the deal is financially lucrative.