Manchester United have been pushed forward for Antonio Conte in recent weeks but they may not be his first priority.
The Italian press have been convinced that the ex-Napoli manager is at the top of the Red Devils’ shortlist. Sport Witness have tracked claims that initial contact has been made, with the manager keen on the role.
Conte has already spoken to the British press about his wishes, making it clear he wants to revive a fallen giant once again. Those comments will have been designed to get him linked to the likes of Manchester United and it’s clear there’s some interest on his part.
Juventus would be included in the fallen giant category Conte was marketing himself for, and their need is growing.
Manager awaits guarantees
Juve picked up a heavy 3-0 loss to Lazio on Sunday, adding further doubt to Luciano Spalletti’s future at the club. This has led talk around Conte to grow once again, especially as he has been without a job since deciding to leave Napoli at the end of last season.
Journalist Stefano Impallomeni spoke to TMW Radio about the Italian. He made it clear that Conte ideally wants some guarantees from the Old Lady. If he doesn’t receive those, he would move to Manchester United.
He said – via TuttoJuve: “Either Conte has guarantees from Juventus for the next few seasons, or I see him moving more towards Manchester United.”
The journalist also noted that Juve need a rebuild and Spalletti isn’t the man to be blamed completely.
“This is a team that needs to be completely rebuilt. Then we can blame Spalletti, who is contributing his part.”
Premier League managerial record
| Statistic | Chelsea | Tottenham | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | 2016–2018 | 2021–2023 | — |
| Matches | 76 | 56 | 132 |
| Wins | 51 | 32 | 83 |
| Draws | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| Defeats | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| Win percentage | 67.1% | 57.1% | 62.9% |
| Points | 163 | 105 | 268 |
| Points per game | 2.14 | 1.88 | 2.03 |
| Premier League titles | 1 (2016/17) | 0 | 1 |
Sources: PremierLeague.com and Statbunker.
Our take: Manager playing on all tables
Clearly, those around Antonio Conte have been pushing his availability to the media, even before his come-and-get-me comments. This is leading to speculation around Manchester United and Juventus.
The Italian seems to be playing on both tables and simply awaiting his chance. He wouldn’t mind either club, as they fit his description of ‘fallen giants’ perfectly.
For the Red Devils and even the Bianconeri, it could be a risk. Conte isn’t at his best when he takes over clubs in the middle of the season. He is much better when given a full pre-season. As a result, hiring him at this point may not be a great idea.
He’s also something of a firebrand, which he demonstrated repeatedly when in England. In Italy, that continued and was partly behind his Napoli exit. Conte is hugely demanding on transfers and wouldn’t be afraid to publicly berate those above him.
Jason Wilcox doesn’t appear the kind of guy who would be comfortable with that.
