Antonio Conte on Manchester United's Radar Amid Carrick's Struggles

Antonio Conte is back on the Manchester United radar – at least in Italy.

The former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter coach is being pushed hard in the Italian press as a potential successor to Michael Carrick, with reports claiming the 57-year-old has already made up his mind about a move to Old Trafford should the call come.

Carrick’s bright start, creeping doubts

Carrick walked into a mess and briefly turned it into a manifesto.

In the wake of Ruben Amorim’s dismissal, the former United midfielder steadied the club, dragged them into the Champions League places and wrapped up a third-placed Premier League finish with a level of comfort few expected. That surge convinced new co-owners INEOS to remove the interim tag and hand him a permanent deal – an initial two-year contract that looked like the start of a longer project.

United did their homework. Other names were checked, dossiers compiled, scenarios weighed. Carrick still won the argument.

Yet only a few months into that tenure, the noise has started. Results have dipped, performances have frayed, and one former United player has already gone public with doubts over whether Carrick would even make it to the January transfer window.

That unease has been seized upon in Italy.

Conte ‘waiting by the phone’

On Tuesday, reports emerged that United’s hierarchy were considering an approach for Antonio Conte, a serial title-winner and one of the most demanding coaches in the modern game.

Now il Corriere dello Sport has gone further. The paper claims Conte’s potential move to Old Trafford is “gathering momentum” and paints a picture of a coach effectively “waiting by the phone” for United to make their move.

Conte has been out of work since leaving Napoli at the end of last season. He wants back in. But he wants the right job.

According to the same reports, he has already turned down the chance to return as Italy’s national coach and has rejected an offer from Fenerbahce. The message is clear: he is holding out for a project that matches his ambition and profile.

Old Trafford fits that description. It is not the first time his name has been attached to the United job, and the appeal of restoring a fallen giant is obvious for a man who has built his reputation on reviving and reshaping big clubs.

The problem for United, if they do decide to move, is that they would not be alone. Juventus are also said to be weighing up a move to bring Conte back to the Allianz Stadium, adding another layer of intrigue to his next step.

United insist Carrick is safe

From United’s side, though, the message remains firm: no change.

Conte’s record is imposing – a 58.04% win percentage across 703 games in management – and he would arrive as a proven operator, a coach with clear methods and an iron grip on dressing rooms. On paper, he looks like the kind of heavyweight appointment that could reset the mood around Old Trafford.

Inside the club, that conversation is not happening. Not yet.

Despite a poor start to the season and a deflating 1-0 home defeat to 10-man Manchester City at the weekend, senior figures at United are described as being fully behind Carrick. The view is that the upheaval in midfield over the summer always meant a period of adaptation. New partnerships, new roles, new demands: it was never going to click overnight.

Transfer frustration has also been acknowledged. Fabrizio Romano, speaking after the derby loss, underlined that United’s recruitment team and Carrick had pushed to bring in a left-back during the summer window but walked away when they could not find the right fit.

“Manchester United absolutely know that maybe the point about the summer transfer window was to add one more player, a left-back. They tried. It was not possible to proceed with the right options,” Romano said on his YouTube channel, stressing that the club did not want to sign a player “just to say: ‘OK, we signed one.’”

The stance on the manager, he added, is unwavering.

“They maintain total faith and confidence in Michael Carrick. They only have four points in four Premier League games, so obviously this is disappointing in terms of results, but Man Utd remain convinced about that.”

Carrick’s own conviction

If Carrick feels the ground shaking beneath him, he is not showing it.

Romano was clear that the 44-year-old’s public optimism mirrors what he is telling the board behind closed doors. The belief, from Carrick’s side, is that this squad will come good once the early turbulence passes and the international break offers a reset.

“What Carrick says in public – ‘We are going to do very well, I am confident, this team is good’ and all the rest – is what he’s saying to the club,” Romano explained. “Carrick remains absolutely convinced that this team can do very well in the next weeks and months, especially after the break.”

So the picture is split.

In Italy, Conte is being lined up, painted as a man ready to jump the moment United pick up the phone, with Juventus lurking in the background. In Manchester, the official line is stability, patience and faith in a young coach still at the start of his managerial journey.

One of those narratives will eventually crack. The question is whether results force United to test Conte’s resolve – or whether Carrick can quieten the speculation before that phone ever rings.