No approach has been confirmed. But the Italian, out of a job since leaving Napoli in the summer, has sketched out in detail the kind of club he wants next, and the description happens to describe Old Trafford.
“There are many clubs that have somewhat lost sight of their history,” he told The Athletic.
“I’d like to go to one of these clubs to dust off that history and make it shine once more.”
Conte said he is not looking for a holding job.
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“Clubs where there’s pressure, where, ultimately, you know full well that you’re not going there just to take part, but to compete.”
Those lines are the whole story. Conte did not name Manchester United, there has been no public contact between the two parties, and nothing suggests Michael Carrick’s position is being formally reviewed this week. The link is a reading of Conte’s words against United’s current form.
United’s start has given the quotes bite
Manchester United, a 20-time English champion, has five points from its first five Premier League games and sits 12th in the table, with a Carabao Cup exit to Brighton already on the record.
Carrick was promoted from interim to permanent head coach in May 2026, after taking charge in January and steering the club to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification.
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Conte is in no rush to return
Conte left Napoli over the summer after two seasons that produced a Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana, and he has been openly enjoying the break.
“In the quiet periods, when I’m not working, the nice thing is that I can sit and watch the games, study new approaches, and be even calmer and more clear-headed.”
He also made a pointed observation about where the money is.
“In England today they’re using bazookas, while everywhere else they’re still using a pistol.”
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The former Chelsea and Inter Milan coach has also been linked with a return to Juventus, where he spent most of his playing career and later won Serie A as manager.
He has not been formally approached by Manchester United, and the club has given no public indication that it intends to replace Carrick.
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