Antonio Conte has told Manchester United he would be willing to replace Michael Carrick as head coach, according to reports.
Carrick enjoyed a strong spell as caretaker manager last season, helping United finish third in the Premier League and qualify for the Champions League. That performance earned him the job on a permanent basis, but many supporters and observers believe the club did not back him properly in the summer transfer market.
United’s poor start intensifies pressure
United have won just one of their first six Premier League matches this season and have collected only six points from those games. Carrick was already under pressure after a 1-1 draw with ten-man Tottenham at the weekend. A 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League has raised further concerns.
In the aftermath of the loss in Spain, defender Lisandro Martinez was punished after he blamed the club’s poor start to the season on weak recruitment.
Conte emerges as a leading candidate
For weeks, rumors have linked former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte with the job should United decide to change direction. TEAMtalk reported on Thursday that the former Napoli head coach is ready to take charge immediately and that intermediaries working with Conte have renewed contact with the club’s hierarchy to reiterate his interest. talkSPORT has since reported that Conte has already reached out to United to express his interest, adding that his representatives have told the club he would be interested in taking over should Carrick be dismissed.
Speaking earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Conte is ready to take over at a historic club as soon as possible. Romano said on his YouTube channel that Conte, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are all managers linked with the United job should the club decide to make a change.
“What I can tell you is that the only answer I can give you today is that there is still nothing advanced, concrete, serious between Conte and Manchester United,” Romano said.
Romano added that Conte, unlike in the past, is open to taking a job mid-season rather than waiting for a new campaign and pre-season with his own squad. He said Conte wants to remain in Europe and is not interested in moving to the Middle East simply for the money. Romano also noted that Conte has said he would be open to a club with a big history that wants to return to its former level. Romano stressed, however, that there are currently no concrete contacts between Conte and United.