coach Rafa Benitez says he is determined to hold on to Edinson Cavani amid continued speculation about the star striker's future.

Cavani, 26, is on Confederations Cup duty with Uruguay and has already stated he will not decide his future until after the tournament, with top European clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City vying for the attacker's signature.

However, Benitez remains optimistic about keeping Cavani at the club having spoken to him already.
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"Everybody talks about him because he's very strong and he's an important player. We're happy he is with us for now and I hope he can remain here," Benitez said at a press conference.

"I've talked with him, we talked by texts."

Cavani has a deal with Napoli until June 2017, but can leave the Serie A outfit if his €63 million release clause in his contract is triggered.

Meanwhile, it is Benitez's second stint in Italy having had a brief spell at Inter as Jose Mourinho's successor in 2010, but it was a largely unhappy time for the Spaniard and he was sacked six months into his reign at San Siro.

Nevertheless, the 53-year-old insists he has learned from his time at the Nerazzurri.

"We learn from our mistakes, we know what we did wrong and what we can improve," he continued.

"Napoli are a different team compared to Inter. The project is different, there is a willingness to grow as a club and that was enough for me to accept the offer."

Benitez also shared his thoughts about coming to Naples and the strength of the team he has at his disposal.

He added: "The first sensation is that it is very hot here. I'm happy, I have seen the city and the fans and I know the board.

"I talked with players who played against Napoli and they told me very good things about them. It's a strong team, who want to grow up and I hope to help them do that in the future."