'Really close' - Claudio Ranieri reveals Roma will soon announce their new coach amid Erik ten Hag links

Ranieri is in charge of the Serie A club until the end of this season but will step away in the summer, with the club set to announce their new boss. Ten Hag was at their game with Juventus last week and is said to know the Friedkin family owners.

Ranieri has been involved in the recruitment of his successor at Roma, working with sporting director Florent Ghisolfi. Despite the Ten Hag links, Ranieri insists he has never met the Dutchman and does not know him.

Ranieri told TMW: "Ghisolfi and I have followed the English model. We started with seven or eight candidates and reduced the list to three or four. It is close, really close." On Ten Hag, he added: "Do you believe that I don’t know him? I’ve never met him. I’ve read that I had dinner with him, but, believe me, I’ve never met him. I am convinced a good coach will arrive."

Having won 11 of their last 15 league games, drawing the other four, Roma have put themselves in contention to qualify for the Champions League. They sit seventh, four points off fourth position with seven games to play, and take on Lazio in a huge derby game on Sunday.