"He is very happy," confirmed the boss in his pre-match press conference yesterday.
"Twenty minutes ago I was talking with him and it was a really positive conversation. His commitment to the club is 100 per cent.
"He is a fantastic professional and a good lad and he wants to stay with us. He is very, very competitive.
"He is not playing badly. I told him we were really pleased with him, but he knows, and we do, that he can play better.
"The only thing is, he's worried about how he can improve. But he wants to stay.
"He was surprised about the rumours and I can guarantee that he's okay. The only thing he is thinking about is how he can improve."