HAMBURG, Germany (AFP) - Bundesliga outfit Hamburg insisted on Thursday they are determined to keep want-away Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

Van der Vaart, 24, is contracted to Hamburg until June 2010, but has repeatedly made his feelings clear he wants to play Champions League football with a Spanish side.

The free-kick specialist, who has a Spanish mother, was photographed with a Valencia shirt in August just before Hamburg rejected a 14 million euro bid (18.8 million dollars) for the Dutch international who is captain of the side.

Van der Vaart was disciplined by Hamburg for his actions, but the club have not given up the idea of keeping their skipper who has scored seven Bundesliga goals so far this season.

"The topic is not closed for us," Hamburg manager Bernd Hoffmann told Kicker magazine.

"We are working on it, we want Rafael to stay with us for a long time."

While van der Vaart can leave in less than three years, there is a clause in his contract which allows him to leave in 2009 for the fixed fee of 1.5 million euros.

Hamburg want to build their side around him and have ruled out a possible transfer to Spain when the transfer window opens next during January's winter break.