Francesco Guidolin wants to stay in charge of Swansea City next season and is ready to hold talks once he guides the club to Premier League safety.
The Italian head coach has a short-term deal that ends in May, but with the comfort of the 40-points mark almost in sight, Guidolin has admitted for the first time he has one eye on the future.
The Swans travel to Stoke City on Saturday, where a victory would put them on 39 points and within spitting distance of retaining their current status.
Guidolin’s position has been debated since he arrived at the Liberty Stadium in January, but resurfaced rumours over the arrival of former manager Brendan Rodgers have done nothing to undermine the ambition of the former Udinese boss.
Guidolin – who has recovered from a period in hospital with a lung infection – said: “It’s no problem for me. I’m focused on my job.
“If I have the possibility to work here in the future, yes I’d be very happy and proud. But I don’t know what will happen and I can say the most important thing now is Swansea. Afterwards we can see.
“My job is to help the team at the moment.
“I trust in my chairman and I think he’s an honest man. There is no problem for me because my future is my present.
“I’d like to stay, for sure, but we can talk about this in another moment because the most important thing is our team.
“I like the sea and I like this area. I like to live in a little town, not a big town.
“I like the Premier League and in the future it will be easier for me because my language is getting better and I like the UK because there is a different atmosphere from Italy.
“If possible, I would like to stay here.”
Guidolin is preparing to take his side to Stoke – a ground where the Swans have never won in the Premier League – as the campaign resumes after an international break.
All of his players have returned unscathed from matches, though Andre Ayew remains sidelined with an ankle injury picked up during the recent win over Aston Villa.
“It’s not been an easy period because many players have been away and there have been many games,” added Guidolin.
“In this last part of the season, my feeling is not good about international friendly matches.
“If I was manager of an international team, I would prefer to finish the league one week earlier and have the possibility for players to have a little holiday then start preparations for Euro 2016.
“But this is my idea – it is not easy for a manager because players are away for many games.
“For us, Modou Barrow and Jefferson Montero, I haven’t seen them yet. They will train on Friday morning and on Saturday we have a game.
“It is not an easy moment, but it is the same for all clubs.
“There are no injuries, but some will be tired because of travelling and the games.”