Antonio Conte Slams Manchester United Links as 'Unfounded Speculation'

Antonio Conte has publicly distanced himself from the Manchester United job, branding reports that he is in “advanced negotiations” with any club as “speculation” in an angry statement posted on Instagram.

The Italian, who has been out of work since leaving Napoli in May, insisted his next move into management will be a “carefully considered decision” and said any club he joins would have to be the “right” fit.

Conte rejects the reports line by line

The 57-year-old, who has previously managed Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League, has been one of the names repeatedly linked with United as Michael Carrick comes under mounting pressure at Old Trafford. But Conte also took aim at reports suggesting there are “reservations” among some in the Old Trafford hierarchy about his “strong personality”, demanding management style and desire for “full control”.

In his statement, Conte said:

“Following recent media reports in Italy and abroad, I feel it is appropriate to clarify my position. My name has been linked with numerous clubs, but there are currently no negotiations at an advanced stage.

“Following a wonderful and successful spell in charge of Napoli, I will take the time I need to consider how and when to return to management. It will be a carefully considered decision, one I will make when I believe the conditions are right.”

He went on to dismiss the characterisations of his demands as baseless:

“I have read reports of financial demands and requests for full control that I have supposedly already made to the clubs mentioned, as well as reservations about what has been described as my ‘strong personality’. These reports are unfounded, as there is currently no concrete basis for such assessments.

“Should a concrete opportunity arise, that will be the time to hold discussions with the club concerned and jointly consider the terms of a potential agreement, with due regard for both parties’ needs and the qualities and approach that define my work as a manager.”

He concluded with a blunt warning to those speculating about his future: “Until then, any assumptions about my demands and my professional future remain speculation and cannot be treated as fact.”

The reports Conte is pushing back against

Conte’s intervention follows a wave of Italian coverage about a potential return to the Premier League. On 24 September, reports in Italy claimed Manchester United had identified Conte as their top target to replace Carrick, sparking talk of a sensational comeback to England.

Those claims intensified on 22 October, when the Italian newspaper Repubblica reported that Conte wanted carte blanche in the transfer market and the freedom to choose his own staff, adding that United directors were assessing his demands before potentially opening formal negotiations. Conte’s statement appears aimed squarely at that reporting, insisting he had made no such requests.

Juventus and a possible return to England

United are not the only club to have been linked with Conte. He has also been mentioned in connection with a return to former side Juventus, where he won three Serie A titles between 2011 and 2014, after a mixed start to the season for their new boss Luciano Spalletti.

The former Italy head coach suggested in an interview with The Athletic earlier this month that he would be open to another job in England after his spells with Chelsea and Tottenham, keeping the door ajar for a Premier League comeback.

Conte’s record is formidable. He has won league titles with four different clubs – Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli – and took over a struggling Tottenham side mid-season five years ago, hauling them back into the Champions League. He is equally known for his sharp tongue, though, and has never shied away from criticising his employers when he feels they are failing to back him. His Tottenham exit in March 2023 followed a stunning evisceration of the club in a now legendary press conference at Southampton.