Atletico Madrid defender Sime Vrsaljko has denied that he wants to leave his La Liga club at the start of 2018.

Vrsaljko has been strongly linked with a move to Napoli in recent days, with the Italian club reportedly learning that they can sign the 25-year-old for just shy of £16m when the January transfer window opens for business.

The Croatian has only started two La Liga matches for Atletico this season, but has insisted that he has "no problems" in Madrid, while the full-back also talked up his relationship with head coach Diego Simeone.

"I have no problems at Atletico Madrid," he told Mundo Deportivo. "I'm not playing much at the moment, but there's no issue. Simeone invited me to talk 10 days ago and we discussed everything, from my physical condition to my football. It was a good conversation and I got a positive impression from it.

"I have a good rapport with Simeone, as he is a coach who says what he thinks and also listens to the opinions of his players. My knee injury made it difficult, but it's not exactly a revelation that a ruptured ligament is a long-term issue. It requires a long and careful rehabilitation that cannot be rushed.

"I listened to the medics and there was some pain that stopped me from getting completely back to my best. After treatment, I feel better and just need to be patient. Links to Napoli? I won't comment on that."

Vrsaljko joined Atletico from Sassuolo in the summer of 2016.