Antonio Conte has re-entered the conversation as a candidate for the Manchester United managerial hotseat, amid mounting pressure on Michael Carrick following a stuttering start to the season and calls from a section of the fanbase for the Italian coach’s appointment.
Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Conte’s name has begun echoing strongly in Manchester, though it stopped short of reporting formal negotiations or an imminent agreement—framing it instead as a scenario that could gather serious momentum if Carrick fails to turn results around quickly.
United have accumulated just six points from their opening six Premier League matches—representing their worst start since 1986—alongside an early exit from the League Cup. These figures have significantly eroded the momentum Carrick generated upon his return to the club last January.
Conte has been enjoying a break since parting ways with Napoli in June 2026, having guided them to the Serie A title and the Italian Super Cup across two seasons. However, he has not shut the door on a return to the Premier League, affirming his readiness to accept a mid-season job “if it is truly worth it.”
The Italian coach said: “I would like to go to a club that has lost a bit of its history, to brush off the dust and restore its shine.”
Although he did not mention Manchester United by name, his remarks regarding storied clubs in need of rediscovering a winning mentality were widely interpreted as a hint aligning seamlessly with the Red Devils’ current predicament.
Conte boasts a CV that makes his name highly enticing: he won three consecutive Serie A titles with Juventus, lifted the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea, restored Inter Milan to the Scudetto after an 11-year drought, and added a league and super cup to his trophy cabinet with Napoli.
