Napoli manager distances himself from Chelsea speculation

Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri has revealed that he is planning to hold negotiations over a new contract with the Serie A club. The 59-year-old has recently emerged as a possible candidate to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea in the summer.

Conte has been under huge pressure to perform in his second season at Stamford Bridge, and his relationship with the club's hierarchy appears to have broken after regularly criticising their transfer policy.

With just 18 months left on Conte's deal, Roman Abramovich is seemingly looking into a new head coach to take charge in the summer, but Sarri has distanced himself from the speculation as he is more keen on committing his future to Napoli.

He told Mediaset Premium: "I can't meet anyone on Friday, as we have a game on Saturday. I want to focus on other issues right now, so someone will meet with the president over the next few days and listen to the proposal on my behalf. There's no problem between Aurelio and I, so it's not an issue."

Sarri has done wonders during his time with the Naples outfit, and the club are aiming to secure their first Scudetto since 1990. Napoli presently hold a slender one-point lead over reigning champions Juventus.