Arsenal's Edu weighing up Spanish options for the future

Arsenal midfielder Edu, whose contract with the London club expires at the end of the season, says he has yet to make up his mind whether his future lies at Real Madrid, Valencia or Barcelona.

"They are three very prestigious clubs and they all have a lot going for them," the Brazilian international told Spanish sports daily AS on Thursday. "I'm very proud that they are talking about me so much."

"I'm looking at all the possibilities to see which one will suit me as a footballer but haven't taken any decision yet as I'm not allowed to do that until January 1."

FIFA regulations allow players to start negotiating with other clubs six months before their contracts expire.

The midfielder said that Arsenal had offered him a new contract but that the proposed deal had not lived up to his expectations.

"They rang me to negotiate at the start of the season," he said. "I told them that it would be easy to reach an agreement, but the initial offer was not what I had hoped for. A second offer also fell through and they said they would ring me again, but I'm still waiting for them to get back to me."

Spanish media have reported that Valencia were the first club to express an interest in signing Edu, hoping to persuade him to join them on a free at the end of the season. But Barcelona and Real Madrid have since joined in the hunt and aim to sign the player for a small fee during the January transfer window.

Edu, 26, has played only a handful of games this season because of a various injuries including a broken toe.