Cudicini: Italian interest (PhilWalter/Empics)

The 29-year-old goalkeeper's sensational club form, keeping five league clean sheets in a row, won him his first call-up to the Italy squad this week.

Cudicini was an unused substitute in the 1-1 friendly draw with Turkey in Pescara.

But national team boss Giovanni Trapattoni's acknowledgement of the best season of Cudicini's stop-start career has alerted Serie A big guns to the Blues number one.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and Roma boss Fabio Capello are both reported to be lining up imminent swoops for Cudicini, who was snapped up by Chelsea for just £160,000.

But Cudicini's agent Federico Pastorello said his client just loves life in west London - and revealed Chelsea chairman Ken Bates may reward the goalkeeper by bumping up the terms of his `realistic' contract, which runs until summer 2007.

Pastorello said: `Carlo's father played for Milan and Roma, so it's quite normal he's very happy to read about interest in him from those clubs.

`Both Ancelotti and Capello think Carlo is a good goalkeeper. But at the moment I haven't had any contact with either club.

`In my opinion, Carlo wants to stay at Chelsea - although you can never say never.

`The reality is Carlo has Chelsea in his heart. He loves the fans and the club because Chelsea have given his career a different direction.

`It's thanks to Chelsea that he has become known as a good goalkeeper and arrived in the national team.

`He's happy with his relationship with Mr Bates, Claudio Ranieri and particularly the Chelsea supporters who show him a lot of love.

`He has a five-year contract with Chelsea and is really, really happy with his situation.'

Quizzed about Cudicini's modest deal, Pastorello added: `Carlo's contract's not right and it's not wrong.

`When we signed it Mr Bates told us exactly what the situation is at his club.

`We agreed with Mr Bates that if things are going well it would be possible to re-negotiate the deal.

`It was a gentlemen's agreement between Mr Bates, Carlo and me.

`We didn't speak about any exact details. But if it's possible for Mr Bates to improve Carlo's contract he will contact us about re-negotiating it.