Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca dismissed reports that he could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as "100% speculation."
According to multiple reports on Thursday, City have placed the Italian on a list of candidates should Guardiola walk away at the end of the season.
Maresca served as Under-23 coach and later as an assistant to his former mentor at the Etihad before leaving to join Leicester in 2023.
It comes days after he refused to clarify comments that appeared to take aim at a lack of support coming from his Stamford Bridge bosses, a stance which intensified speculation that relations had deteriorated internally at the club.
Asked about the City links ahead of Saturday's trip to Newcastle, Maresca said: "It doesn't affect me. It's 100% speculation.
"There is no time for this kind of thing. I have a contract here until 2029. My focus is just about this club. I'm very proud to be here.
"It's speculation. One week ago was the same thing with Juventus. I don't pay attention because I know it's not true.
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"It's important to understand the reason why this news was there. It's not my job, I don't care at all. The players are focused on Newcastle.
Asked whether he could promise he would be at Chelsea next season, he said: "Absolutely, yes. I have a contract until 2029.
"This is speculation, 100%. I don't have nothing to add. I don't pay attention. If we continue to talk about it it means I'm paying attention. I'm just focused on Newcastle and on my job."
Guardiola, who will have served 10 years at the Etihad Stadium by next summer, is contracted until the end of the 2026-27 term and has said nothing to indicate he could cut short his tenure.
The Spaniard said at a news conference on Friday: "The last three or four years, every time during a certain, period someone asks me that question.
"Sooner or later, when I'm 75 or 76, I will quit Manchester City!
"I understand the question when I have the end of a contract [coming] but I have 18 months left and I am so delighted and happy and excited about the development of the team and being there. That is all I can say.
"That question happens every single season at a certain point and I'm OK. The club and I are incredibly connected in terms of the decisions we have to take and when it's going to happen, it's going to happen.
"There are no discussions -- end of the subject. There are no discussions. I will not be eternally here, but I've said before I will not be here forever. None of us will be forever in this world but there are no discussions.
"What is going to happen will happen and the club has to be prepared for everything - for the players and the CEOs, except the owners. They are here unless they are going to sell the club, which I don't think will happen.
"The rest, the club has to be prepared but that subject is not on the table right now."
Asked further if he would still be at the club next season, Guardiola said: "I'm here.
"What's going to happen who knows but if I have 10 years on my contract or six months, football changes a lot.
"Now I'm focused on West Ham and go for a few days with my dad and that's all, come back for Nottingham [Forest] and Sunderland and Brighton and Chelsea."
City host West Ham United on Saturday with the chance, for a few hours at least, to move to the top of the table.
Rodri, John Stones and Jérémy Doku are still sidelined while Omar Marmoush and Rayan Aït-Nouri are now on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Guardiola said: "We are prepared. We know how difficult that is. They have always had top-class players, so huge respect -- but we are ready."