Ex-Chelsea boss Conte hints at wanting Man United job

Antonio Conte has dropped a major hint that he would be interested in taking charge of a fallen European giant, with his comments inevitably raising fresh questions about Manchester United.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham boss is currently available after leaving Napoli and appears eager to take on a project where restoring past glory would be the central challenge.

Conte wants to revive fallen giant

Conte, 57, left Napoli at the end of last season after two years in charge, during which he guided the club to Serie A and Italian Super Cup success. The Italian has previously been linked with the Manchester United job, although he did not name the Red Devils when discussing his ambitions with The Athletic.

“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,” Conte said.

“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.”

United immediately fit the description of one of those fallen giants. The club have not won the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2012-13 and have struggled to consistently compete for major honours since then.

Manchester United links resurface

Conte’s comments have arrived while United continue to endure a difficult period under Michael Carrick.

The Red Devils have collected just five points from their opening five matches and have failed to build on the momentum from last season, when Carrick guided them to third place during the second half of the campaign.

Conte also suggested he remains open to returning to English football despite his turbulent spell at Tottenham, which ended in March 2023.

“In England today they’re using bazookas, while everywhere else they’re still using a pistol,” he said.

The Italian also stressed that clubs must spend their resources intelligently, rather than simply throwing money at problems. Conte has traditionally preferred taking jobs during the summer, but he indicated he could consider arriving during a season if the opportunity was sufficiently attractive.

That could make his availability particularly interesting if United’s struggles continue. Although Conte never mentioned Old Trafford directly, his description of the club he wants next has Manchester United written all over it.