Roberto Mancini, the current head coach of Italy, has dismissed reports claiming that he's reached a "verbal agreement" to become Manchester United's boss from next season.
"A verbal agreement with a Premier League club? All false," Mancini told Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.
According to reports in British media, Mancini, who had a stint with United's arch-rivals Man City from 2009-2013, was approached for the job at Old Trafford in November.
He was apparently set to take over as full-time manager after the expiration of interim boss Ralf Rangnick's term at the end of the current season.
While the revered German was named as United's head coach for six months last month, the former Premier League champions are still scouting for a long-term manager.
But it seems Mancini is not interested in taking up United's offer as he's fully committed and focused on ensuring Italy qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"My only goal is to get to the World Cup and be able to win it," he added.
Mancini was the guiding force behind Italy's renaissance in 2021. After failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2018, skipper Giorgio Chiellini and his men shocked England in the final to claim the European Championship title in July.
Subsequently, Italy went on to set a new world record for the longest undefeated streak (37 matches), surpassing Brazil's unbeaten run of 36 games in succession during the 1990s.
The Italians now have to earn their Qatar spot through the play-offs in March with the semi-final against North Macedonia followed by a clash with either Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal or Turkey.