Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri today poured cold water on speculation the club's Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen could be on his way to Manchester United when the transfer window reopens in January.
United boss Alex Ferguson is a known admirer of Gudjohnsen and has made it clear he is keen to sign a new forward in January to bolster his bid for glory at home and in Europe.
And with Chelsea a reported £80million in debt, there have been suggestions both clubs would like to do a £10million deal, particularly as Gudjohnsen has put negotiations on a new contract on hold.
Ranieri however believes Gudjohnsen wants to stay in west London.
"There is no problem with Eidur's contract," the Italian said. "We won't keep anyone who doesn't want to be here but we are building a good, competitive team here and I think Eidur is happy to stay and will renew his contract at the right time."
Gudjohnsen's agent meanwhile said he was planning to talk to Chelsea about a new deal at the end of the season.
"The situation at Chelsea is well documented and we have had no more talks with them since September," said Peter Harrison.
"Their financial position is not good so we have postponed talks until the end of the season. We will speak to them again at that point and see if the situation has changed."
After moving to the capital as a squad player, Gudjohnsen's current salary is below that of his more celebrated team-mates. But he has made a strong case for a better deal with 24 goals in his first two seasons to establish himself as a first-team regular.