Fulham manager Slaviša Jokanović claims that he is too “busy” at Craven Cottage to think about the speculation linking him to Southampton, reports GetWestLondon.
The Whites manager has been linked in the last 48 hours with a summer switch to the Saints, who have underperformed under Mauricio Pellegrino this season.
Even if Pellegrino staves off relegation, he isn’t expected to continue as manager of the South Coast club next season, and Jokanović is reportedly high on the list of candidates to replace him.
Fulham are currently gunning for promotion to the Premier League, with the Cottagers currently sitting in fourth place, just five points behind Cardiff in the second automatic spot.
Fulham are in fine form in the second half of the season, having gone unbeaten in their last 14 league games, last losing to Sunderland in mid-December.
With the London club travelling to Preston this weekend, it is clear that Jokanović is targeting a second personal promotion to the Premier League.
If Fulham do win promotion this season, it will only be the sixth time a foreign manager has led a team to the Premier League, and the Serb will be the first to do it twice, having previously won promotion with Watford.
Despite admitting that the links must be down to the good work he has done this season, the 49-year old claims he is “so busy” with Fulham to think too much about it. He said;
I am so busy here and thinking about the game ahead with my team.
In general we talking about some top opinion, positive or negative, if somebody is talking about myself in the future, it can be great news for myself.
But at this moment, I am so busy to thinking about gossip and about other teams.
I have enough here where I am right now and I must be focused and concentrate for myself.
