Antonio Conte has informed Manchester United that he would be willing to replace Michael Carrick as Red Devils head coach, according to reports.
Carrick had a brilliant spell in charge as caretaker manager last season, helping Man Utd 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 failed to back him properly in the summer transfer market.
Man Utd have won just one of their first six Premier League matches this season, earning only six points from those fixtures. Carrick was already under pressure after a 1-1 draw with ten-man Tottenham over the weekend, and 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 blamed the club’s poor start to the season on poor recruitment, and he was subsequently punished for those comments.
Romano Outlines Conte’s Position
There have been rumors for weeks that former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Conte could replace Carrick if United decide to change direction in the coming weeks. Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Italian is ready to take over at a historic club as soon as possible.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said Conte, Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann are all managers linked with the Manchester United job should the club decide to make a change. He added that there is still nothing advanced, concrete or serious between Conte and United.
Romano also noted that, unlike past situations in which Conte preferred to wait for a new season and a full pre-season with his own squad, Conte would now be open to taking a job mid-season. Romano stressed that Conte does not want to move to the Middle East simply for the money and return to Europe later, and that his priority is to continue working in Europe with a club of historic stature. Conte recently said that if a club with a big history wanted to return to its former level, he would be open to the opportunity.
Romano emphasized that there are no concrete contacts yet between Conte and Manchester United.
Conte Reportedly Ready to Step In
TEAMtalk revealed on Thursday that the former Napoli head coach is ready to take charge of United immediately, and that intermediaries working with Conte have renewed contact with the club’s hierarchy to reiterate his interest.
talkSPORT has since backed up TEAMtalk’s story, claiming that Conte has told United he is open to replacing Carrick at Old Trafford as soon as possible. Its report states that Conte has already reached out to the club to express interest, and that representatives of Conte have told United he would be interested in taking over should Carrick be dismissed.