The 25-year-old striker has been dreaming of a move to Europe and he finally got his chance, but has made an astonishing u-turn towards the City move.

"I had a successful trial with Manchester City and I was given great praise from everyone there including coach Sven-Goran Eriksson," Al Qahtani was quoted as saying by Eurosport.

"We had reached an agreement but there were some issues in the contract that were not resolved.

"However, the reason I rejected the offer was not due to financial reasons - but because I feel Al Hilal need me too much this season."

The Asian Player of the Year did not close the door on Europe though, as he claims that he still has some options out there.

"I'm still looking to play in Europe and the situation could be different at the start of next season," he added.

"I still have some offers and I will discuss them with the administration and I'm sure that I can succeed in Europe."