Conte dismisses 'unfounded' Man United links and denies advanced talks with any club

Antonio Conte has moved to distance himself from reports linking him to the Manchester United job, branding claims of advanced negotiations with any club as “unfounded speculation” in a statement posted to Instagram.

The 57-year-old Italian, who has been out of management since leaving Napoli in May, said he would take the time needed to consider his return to the dugout and that his chosen club would need to meet the right conditions. “My name has been linked with numerous clubs, but there are currently no negotiations at an advanced stage,” Conte wrote.

Conte also pushed back against specific claims circulating in Italian and international media that he had already made financial demands and requested full control at clubs under consideration. “I have read reports of financial demands and requests for full control that I have supposedly already made to the clubs mentioned,” he said. “These reports are unfounded, as there is currently no concrete basis for such assessments.”

He was equally dismissive of suggestions that some figures within the Old Trafford hierarchy hold reservations about his “strong personality” and demanding management style, describing those characterisations as premature given that no formal discussions have taken place.

Conte has previously managed in the Premier League with Chelsea and Tottenham, and his name has been among those circulated at United as pressure has grown on interim manager Michael Carrick.

In his statement, Conte made clear that any substantive conversation about terms would only happen once a concrete opportunity materialised. “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,” he wrote. “Until then, any assumptions about my demands and my professional future remain speculation and cannot be treated as fact.”