Real Madrid defender Pepe will continue on at the club for at least another year, according to sourceA Bola, viaAS.
The player's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but a new £5m-a-year deal has been agreed upon according to the Spanish publication, and the Portuguese defenderwill remain at the club until June 2018.
James Rodriguez, Alvaro Morata, Pepe staying at Real Madrid - Zinedine Zidane. https://t.co/VUcCFqCyxy pic.twitter.com/GlW5mNQVGF
The defender has reportedly hadhuge offers from Chinese Super League outfitsGuangzhou and Shanghai SIPG, but has decided to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu for at least another 18 months.
Pepe is thought to be keen on playing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and believes that remaining at Madrid will enhance his chances of getting called up for Portugal, after having won Euro 2016 in Francelast summer.
The Champions League winnerhad made it clear in the past that his chief wish was to continue with Madrid. He was free to negotiate with other clubs as soon as 2016 ended, but said that he would wait on the club.
"I'm going to wait for Madrid until the last minute," he insisted.
Zinedine Zidane, meanwhile, considers the 33-year-old an important part of his team.
"I would like Pepe to continue in Madrid," the manager said to reporters last week.
Pepe has been with Los Blancos since 2008, having joined from Porto for€30 million. He has helped the club to two La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies, and could win a third league title this season, given Madrid's strong position atop the table.