Monday saw several claims made in Italy about Manchester United’s potential plan to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Antonio Conte.
The Red Devils have endured a difficult season that has seen them win only two of their last six league matches, suffering three losses, including a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Solskjaer is under pressure and his future seems to be away from the Manchester club. This is where Conte fits in and after various reports in the British press discussed him yesterday, the Italian media now provides us with a fresh update.
The former Chelsea manager has been without a job since leaving Inter Milan back in May. He is not in favour of joining a new club midway through the campaign, but is willing to change the stance for Manchester United, report Calciomercato.
It’s claimed the Serie A winning coach has ‘opened the possibility’ of replacing Solskjaer. The former is of the belief he can implement his ideas on the current crop of players at the club and also give the ‘right shock’ to the squad, ‘depressed by disappointing results’.
The ‘first contact’ between the Premier League side and the 52-year-old has taken place. The timing to sack the Norwegian ‘remains to be understood’ since it may happen soon or United could decide to wait until November’s international break.
Manchester United have ‘made their move’ by contacting the former Inter boss. He has ‘responded and is waiting for signals from England’.
These claims are backed up Gianluca Di Marzio, who also details the ‘first contact’ between the Red Devils and Conte. It’s further stated the latter has ‘given his willingness to United’ to take over a team middle of the season.
It’s not clear when the Old Trafford club plan to cut ties with Solskjaer – now or wait until the next international break.
It is ‘very unlikely’, as per Gianluca Di Marzio, for Solskjaer to still be in charge of United after the national team’s matches in November.
Another report from Calciomercato stresses Conte is ‘close to United’ as the Premier League side have ‘chosen’ him to be their new manager.
They even explain the ‘agreement is one step away’ and what is ‘missing for the signing’ is for the English giants to part ways with Solskjaer.