Leonardo Jardim, Monaco Agree to Contract Extension Through 2020

Manager Leonardo Jardim and AS Monaco have agreed to a new contract that will keep the tactician at the club until 2020, putting a halt to rumours linking the 42-year-old with a move to China.

The club announced the news via Twitter on Wednesday:

On Tuesday, Portuguese daily A Bola (h/t Sky Sports' Kaveh Solhekol) reported Jardim had agreed to a contract with Beijing Guoan.

While plenty of outlets ran with the rumours, followers of French football doubted the legitimacy. Get French Football News suggested the rumours could have been created by Jardim's camp:

The Portuguese manager guided Monaco to the Ligue 1 title this season, ending Paris Saint-Germain's run of four straight titles. Monaco also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a remarkably young squad that quickly won over neutral fans for their attacking, wide-open approach.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Youri Tielemans present a strong core for the coming seasons, although Monaco will have to be careful in the transfer market. Bernardo Silva has already left for Manchester City, and top clubs across the continent will be after more of their starlets.

Securing Jardim for the near future is arguably the most important piece of the puzzle, however, and Monaco remain in a great position to build on their current success.