Conte signals interest in Manchester United job as Carrick faces mounting pressure

Antonio Conte has indicated to Manchester United officials that he would be open to taking charge at Old Trafford, should the club decide to move on from Michael Carrick after a troubled start to the Premier League season.

Carrick, handed the job permanently in the summer following an impressive interim stint, has won just one of his first six league games — United’s worst start to a season in 40 years. The Red Devils have also been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton, who overturned a 2-0 deficit to win at Old Trafford.

Conte, who left Napoli in the summer after two years in charge, is currently without a club. His representatives have made clear to those in authority at Manchester United that the Italian would be receptive to the role if a managerial change were made, according to talkSPORT.

The 55-year-old brings a record of consistent title-winning across Europe. He delivered the Scudetto to Napoli in his debut season before finishing second to Inter Milan in his second, and previously won the Premier League with Chelsea in his first season at Stamford Bridge, following that up with an FA Cup triumph — beating Manchester United in the final. He also had a spell in charge at Tottenham.

Conte has spoken publicly about the type of project he wants next, framing it in terms that align closely with United’s situation. In a recent interview with The Athletic, he said: “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.”

“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.”

United have not won the league title since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 and are no longer regular Champions League participants — a decline that fits the profile of the challenge Conte has described seeking.

Carrick’s limited managerial CV was a point of concern for some observers when United appointed him, and the pressure on him is growing rapidly with the season still in its early stages.