LONDON - Chelsea are confident Didier Drogba is committed to the club, despite reports from France that the striker may want to leave Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old was quoted in France Football magazine as saying "something has broken with Chelsea" but the Londoners expect him to honour his contract, which runs until 2010.
"Didier Drogba signed a new four-year contract last year," said a statement from Chelsea.
"As a top professional we are sure Didier is committed to Chelsea and intends to honour that contract."
The Ivory Coast international is reported to have told Friday's issue of France Football: "I have reached a stage where I feel I have nothing to prove here. I must go elsewhere.
"It took me a while to love Chelsea. But now the time has come to do something else.
"My decision is taken. Nothing could keep me here. I know that Ronaldinho and Kaka could come here next season but that will change nothing in what I want... Because something has broken with Chelsea."
Drogba is said to have identified AC Milan, Internazionale, Barcelona and Real Madrid as his favoured destination, adding: "I need a club where I would be prepared to break a leg to win."
There have been questions over whether the Chelsea squad has been affected by the departure of Jose Mourinho as boss last month, although players have also publicly shown their support for new boss Avram Grant.
"We were all very shocked to see Jose go, and I felt very sad about it, both personally and professionally," said midfielder Michael Essien in this week's Sport magazine.
"He was the manager who brought me to Chelsea and to the Premier League - he helped me a lot to develop as a player, so it has been difficult.
"But it's been a difficult few weeks for the team. We have to back our new manager, though, and go out and win games - for him, for us and for the fans."
Chelsea lost their Premier League title to Manchester United last year and they are seven points off the pace going into the weekend, when they travel to Middlesbrough.
Essien remains confident they can turn it around and mount a title challenge.
"Of course we can. We have the players and the team to do it, but we also know how hard it will be," he added.
