Didier Drogba remains hopeful that Chelsea will offer him an extension to his current contract but cautioned it would be a disaster if the club failed to qualify for the Champions League next season.

The Blues striker, currently recuperating after the Africa Cup of Nations, has been linked with a move to Shanghai Shenhua in recent weeks but Drogba insists he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge.

"Everybody knows I love the club [Chelsea] and everyone knows I want to stay," Drogba is quoted in the Daily Mail.

"We are still talking about it, so let's see what comes out of the discussions. I'm optimistic something can happen," he added.

"I love Chelsea and I think they love me as well. I think we are going to find something and make a decision which suits everyone - me, the club and the fans.

"At the same time, if it doesn't happen that's life, but you will never change the respect and love we created together. My heart is Blue."

Drogba failed to lead the Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory after Zambia beat the tournament favourites on penalties in the final on Sunday.

And the Chelsea forward warned that were the club to fail to qualify for next season's Champions League it would be "a disaster".

"We are having a difficult season - not only at this moment," Drogba is quoted in the Telegraph. "It's not always easy when you change manager, when there's new players to fit in the team. It is the hardest season I've known since I've been at Chelsea."

Nevertheless, Drogba dismissed reports of a growing rift between the club's senior players and Villas-Boas and warned supporters that the side could take time to adapt to the Portuguese manager's methods.

"He came with his philosophy which is playing a bit more football than the other managers," Drogba says. "That's how he succeeded in Porto so he wanted to do the same at Chelsea.

"It's difficult because we are trying to change the way we play and to adapt to his philosophy so that's why it's taking time. Maybe that's the reason why we are struggling a little bit to be in the first two.

"When I came the club was second and I helped them to be first," he says. "For me it would be a disaster if the club is not in the top four this year. I've had a successful eight years so I don't want that to happen."