Manchester United's Conte pursuit fades as Juventus move to poach struggling Napoli boss

Manchester United’s pursuit of Antonio Conte is in serious danger of collapsing before it begins, with Juventus emerging as a rival suitor for the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager, according to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb.

Conte is currently at Napoli, where his side sit ninth in Serie A with 10 points from seven matches after a 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Venezia at the weekend. That turbulent run has drawn attention from Juventus, whose own manager Luciano Spalletti is under imminent threat following a 3-0 home loss to Lazio on Sunday, leaving the Turin club seventh with 11 points.

Tuttomercatoweb reported that Conte’s anticipated move to Old Trafford “never materialised,” with United’s hesitancy now threatening to cost them. The publication was pointed in its assessment of Conte’s current struggles too, writing: “The coach is complicating his life with constant experimentation, offering no certainty. He’s playing a complicated game with obscure language, when simplicity is needed.”

At United, the pressure on Michael Carrick is mounting. The Englishman guided the club to a third-placed Premier League finish last season, but a 13th-place standing in the current campaign has eroded confidence in his tenure. The Athletic has described his position at the club as “beginning to feel precarious.”

The situation was further inflamed last week when United suffered a heavy defeat to Atlético Madrid in Europe, after which defender Lisandro Martínez made pointed public comments about the club’s hierarchy — adding to the sense of unrest at Old Trafford. A 1-1 draw at home to Leeds United at the weekend did little to ease the tension.

United were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup in September, losing 3-2 to Brighton despite leading 2-0 inside nine minutes.

With Juventus now circling Conte, United face the prospect of having dithered long enough to lose their primary managerial target entirely. Carrick’s side return to Champions League action away at Como on Tuesday before hosting Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.