Antonio Conte ‘reaching agreement’ with Man Utd as Michael Carrick sack looms

Multiple reports in Italy are going strong on claims Antonio Conte will replace Michael Carrick as manager of Manchester United.

Man Utd have endured a nightmare start to the season under Carrick, with the Red Devils winning just once in six Premier League matches so far.

United surrendered a two-goal lead to Brighton in the League Cup, and were bounced out on home soil.

Zero clean sheets have been kept against English opposition this term, and prior reporting from The Athletic claimed INEOS harbour lingering concerns over United’s intensity and ability to do the basics, such as run and close spaces, under Carrick’s stewardship.

Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte are the two names most frequently linked with replacing Carrick in the dugout.

Conte, a winner of six league titles including the Premier League with Chelsea, effectively auditioned for the role in public during the international break.

Antonio Conte spells out vision for Man Utd

Speaking to The Athletic, the 57-year-old said: “In England today they’re using bazookas [in the transfer market], while everywhere else they’re still using a pistol.

“But we also need to be careful about how the money is spent. That’s why we were talking earlier about making the right assessments, about having a vision, because you may well have the money, but you have to spend it wisely.”

Conte added: “If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself – a history made up of trophies, league titles and victories – you can only honour that history in one way: by having the ambition to bring that club back, if it isn’t there today, to fight for those goals.

“I know full well that only one team can win every year, but I must carry in my heart, and instil in the hearts of the fans, my players and my directors. That spark, that hope that makes you say, ‘F***, we can win’.

“There are many clubs that have somewhat lost sight of their history. I’d like to go to one of these clubs to dust off that history and make it shine once more. Clubs where there’s pressure, where, ultimately, you know full well that you’re not going there just to take part, but to compete.”

Soon after, transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, gave his assessment of the situation.

Fabrizio Romano on Antonio Conte to Man Utd

“Some of you are already asking me about Manchester United and what can happen,” began Romano.

“What I can tell you is that Antonio Conte is absolutely ready to restart.

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“Antonio Conte left Napoli in the summer and Antonio Conte would be ready to restart. He rejected approaches from Saudi Arabia. He rejected approaches from Turkey because he wanted to go to a historical club and in a top, top league “So this is the mission.

“Then let us see what is going to happen. At the moment, it is the intention from Antonio Conte. We will see all the rest.”

Man Utd ‘reaching an agreement’ with Antonio Conte

And according to the latest out of Italy, Man Utd are ready to call time on Carrick’s dire spell as permanent manager and appoint serial winner Conte.

Firstly, TuttoMercatoWeb columnist, Enzo Bucchioni, wrote: ‘Antonio Conte’s return, the former Juventus coach is reaching an agreement with Manchester United, who have had a poor start to the Premier League, having also been held yesterday by [Roberto] De Zerbi’s Tottenham.’

Around the same time as that report surfaced, Calciomercato claimed Man Utd are now ‘seriously considering’ sacking Carrick, and Conte is more than happy to take charge.

They stated: ‘According to some information gathered in the last few hours by our editorial team, the Red Devils management is seriously considering sacking Michael Carrick and entrusting themselves to the Lecce coach who, therefore, would return to England after his experiences at the helm of Chelsea (2016-2018) and Tottenham (2021-2023).

‘Conte would gladly accept a call from Manchester United.’