West Ham remain confident that Gianfranco Zola will start next season as their manager despite persistent speculation linking the Italian with a return to Chelsea.

Weekend reports suggested that Zola and assistant manager Steve Clarke have escape clauses in their new contracts and that the Stamford Bridge club could still make a play for the pair should they fail in a likely bid for Milan's Carlo Ancelotti, their first choice replacement for temporary manager Guus Hiddink.

Zola, however, has already denied he has any special clause in his new deal, worth more than £1million a year, other than the normal compensation stipulations.

The West Ham manager has consistently said he intends to stay at Upton Park to finish what he has described as "this exciting" project.

He said recently: "This club have been very good to me and I want to give the best of me back to them."

West Ham's chances of finishing seventh and qualifying for the Europa League, have faded however, after both London rivals Fulham and Tottenhan overtook them in the table following their 3-0 defeat by Liverpool.