Athletic Bilbao are confident of tying Fernando Llorente to a new contract.

The Spanish international has just eighteen months left on his existing contract with the La Liga club, and Chelsea are thought to have identified him as a potential successor to Didier Drogba.

However, Bilbao are determined to keep Llorente at the San Mames for the long-term, and they have revealed they are confident the 26-year-old striker will sign a new deal.

"We are very confident that Llorente stays with us," said sporting director Jose Maria Amorrortu. "He is a very important player. We are working on its continuity, but we have not gone any further.

"I'm optimistic. Fernando has been here for 11 years. This club is a club of values and Fernando knows this. We must transmit values and reinforce them because they are what make us different."

Get all the latest news on your club. Visit 360 Football, the best football news aggregator on the web!