Roberto Mancini was in London yesterday, leading to rumours that the former Inter Milan coach was holding talks with Fulham about working at Craven Cottage. Fulham denied that Mancini had met club officials in Central London and the Italian’s agent, Giorgio De Giorgis, said that his client was only in the capital to attend last night’s Champions League match between Chelsea and Roma at Stamford Bridge.

According to reports in Italian newspapers, Mancini, who has been linked with the Juventus and Roma jobs, has been flying to London for English lessons to improve his prospects of getting a job in the Barclays Premier League. “I’ve heard rumours but there is nothing concrete,” De Giorgis said. “Mancini would like to coach Roma or Juventus but he hasn’t had any offers.”

Luciano Spalletti’s future as the Roma coach is hanging by a thread after the club’s poor start to the season. Rosella Sensi, the Roma president, was in tears during her team’s 4-0 home defeat by Inter Milan in Serie A on Sunday. Claudio Ranieri, the Juventus coach, was said to be one defeat away from the sack before his team beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Mancini has not worked since he was replaced by José Mourinho at Inter in the summer, despite guiding the club to three consecutive Italian league titles. He is locked in a £20 million dispute with his former employers about his severance package.

Fulham have made a disappointing start to the season despite Roy Hodgson, the manager, signing 12 new players in the summer. The team are seventeenth in the Barclays Premier League and have won only two of their seven league matches.