Al Qahtani waiting for right offer

Dubai: Yasser Al Qahtani insists he is not desperate to play football in Europe and will make the jump only if the terms and conditions of a potential contract are found "satisfactory".

The Saudi Arabia skipper has been linked with a move to the Premiership for nearly a year now, with clubs like Manchester City, Middlesbrough and Wigan said to be interested in securing his services.

Interest from City is said to have fallen flat, with both parties failing to agree on a contract, but Middlesbrough and Wigan are still rumoured to be in the hunt to snap up "The Sniper", with the latter reported to be ready to spend as much as $10 million (Dh36.7m).

And although Al Qahtani is eager to move because it means stepping up a gear for both self and country, he says he will do so only if his demands are met.

The Al Hilal striker was unveiled as the first Arab ambassador of Gillette at a ceremony in Dubai, where he told Gulf News: "There was a memorandum of understanding between Al Hilal and Manchester City [regarding the transfer], but I refused to sign because I wasn't really satisfied with the terms of that contract.

"I am quite eager and anxious to join a European league. I think it is the dream of every player to play at the top level to improve his skills, but I will sign a contract only if the terms of the contract are changed in the future," he added, refusing to divulge more.

Top scorer

The 25-year-old led his side to the finals of last year's AFC Asian Cup in which he impressed pundits by finishing as the tournament's top scorer, despite his side losing their showpiece tie against Iraq.

He was subsequently awarded the Asian Footballer of the Year award for 2007, and, currently, says his radar is set on the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

For long, the Saudis have been regulars at the tournament, but Al Qahtani wants his men to shed their "also-ran" tag and be considered real contenders. And he plans to do it with a splendid performance in South Africa.

"We have been playing at the World Cup for a long time, but the only time we reached the second round was in 1994," said Al Qahtani, who scored a memorable goal against Tunisia in the last tournament in Germany.

"Right now we have reached the final round of Asian qualifiers and our immediate goal is to qualify for South Africa.

"I believe we will work really hard and do that, but I also believe we can repeat, if not better, the result achieved by the team in 1994 when we reached the last-16."