Juventus warn Chelsea off head coach Massimiliano Allegri

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has claimed that head coach Massimiliano Allegri is staying put, despite reports linking the Italian to Chelsea.

The Premier League club are searching for a permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by the Blues in December.

Guus Hiddink was swiftly installed as coach, but the former Netherlands boss will not remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the summer.

Last week it was reported that Allegri, who has 16 months left on his contract in Turin, had agreed a four-year deal with the Premier League champions, but Marotta has attempted to warn off the Blues.

"We have a great rapport with Allegri," the London Evening Standards quotes Marotta as saying. "Contracts are not as important as the relationships between people.

"With Allegri, the conditions are all there to continue. The team is doing well and improving a great deal. Now the crucial moment of the season is coming up, so we should focus on that.

"I believe that in a corporate structure such as ours the role of coach is of very high importance, so I am opposed to having a coach who is set to leave the club."

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone, Italy coach Antonio Conte and outgoing Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini have also been linked to the job at Chelsea.