Sevilla’s Mali striker Frederic Kanoute has decided to stay put after speculation linked him with a move away from the club, the Spanish Primera Liga side announced on Saturday.

The club said Kanoute asked for some time to consider his future amid reports linking him with Qatari and Saudi clubs but he eventually decided to remain in Andalusia next term.

“Kanoute will stay at Sevilla. The striker, in a meeting with sporting director Monchi, has expressed his desire to continue at Sevilla, forming part of the project and fighting for the exciting objectives of next season,” the club said on their official website.

The towering frontman has been a key player at Sevilla since joining in the summer of 2005 after ending a successful two-year spell with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The 33-year-old scored 21 goals in 43 appearances this season as Sevilla finished fifth in the Primera Liga to qualify for the Europa League, the continent’s second-tier club competition.