Atletico Madrid captain Gabi has rejected an offer from Al Sadd.
Marca says Barcelona legend Xavi wanted to take Gabi to Qatar prior to taking over as the coach of Al-Sadd but has been unsuccessful.
He will spend at least another season in the Spanish capital, extending his stay with Los Colchoneros with a move at this moment not appealing to the veteran.
During his career with the Catalan giants, Xavi faced Gabi on 17 occasions and knows exactly what qualities he would bring to the team.
One of the conditions that saw Gabi's one-year extension clause be activated was that he played more than 60 minutes of 25 competitive matches, something he did with ease.