Little Buddha hints at stay

Ivan De la Pena has stated he is keen to commit his future to Espanyol.

The former Barcelona midfielder sees his current deal expire at the end of the season and had been somewhat reluctant to discuss his long term plans.

However the 'Little Buddha' has now admitted that a longer stay at Estadio Olimpico de Montjuic is appealing.

"My existing contract finishes at the end of the season and the club has told me they want to talk about the future," De la Pena told Sport.

"Espanyol is my first option. I've been very happy in the five years I've been here and if they want to keep me then that's great."

The Primera Liga club are keen to keep hold of the tenacious midfielder and president Daniel Sanchez Llibre has confirmed that talks regarding a new deal are well under way.

"We have made contact with the agent and another meeting is predicted this month," said the Espanyol supremo.

"It is possible to reach an accord but we all know that the player is able to negotiate with any club."