Espanyol have ended their interest in Hearts striker Mahatma Otoo, 90 Minutes newspaper has reported.

The Spanish side had been linked with the in-form striker for a couple of months, but Otoo’s decision to sign a one-year extension to his current deal has adversely affected the deal.

The cash-strapped European side were hoping to sign the player for free when his contract expires at the end of the season with fears they could not meet the financial demands of Hearts.

They had reportedly tabled a $600,000 offer for his services if he had refused to extend his contract with the capital-based side.

But Hearts moved quickly to tie down the player down for a further one- year, so they did not lose him for free.

The exploits of Black Stars midfielder Mubarak Wakaso is believed to have triggered the interest of the Barcelona-based side to enquire about his availability.

Otoo has been on the radar of a number of clubs and could see his value rise in the coming months.