Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed his desire to remain at Stamford Bridge for the remainder of his existing contract. The Italian’s future has been a topic of speculation in recent weeks with reports emerging that he could get the sack at the end of the campaign.

Speaking ahead of the Watford game, Conte stressed that there is no rift between him and the club’s hierarchy whilst insisting that he would like to honour the remainder of his contract which expires in 18 months’ time, he said: “From the start of this season there have been a lot of speculation and rumours around me. The only thing I can tell you now is I still have 18 months of contract with Chelsea. My intention, my will, is to respect the contract.

“This season, the situation has always been the same, with a lot of pressure, and I don’t understand why, always around me. But the pressure is normal. When the situation is too calm, you risk being relaxed and losing the anger, the fire. I like to live with this pressure.”

The Blues suffered a rather embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth in midweek, and this has further intensified talk of the manager’s future at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have a testing away trip to Watford on Monday night, and reports have suggested that Conte could be dismissed shortly after the game, should his side register an away defeat.

Injuries to key players have not helped Conte to find a quick solution, but he will be hoping to utilise the services of Olivier Giroud in order to find a cutting edge up front which the Blues have been lacking over the past month. The Frenchman comes with a whole load of Premier League experience from his time with Arsenal, and his hold-up play could be influential towards the club’s playing style up front. The Blues are presently one point ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the standings.