United revive Lewis Hall pursuit as Conte sets conditions for his next move

Manchester United are set to renew their interest in Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall, according to The i Paper, with the club also keeping tabs on Rennes defender Adrien Truffert as interim manager Michael Carrick navigates a deepening injury crisis and a five-game Premier League winless run.

United first targeted Hall during the summer transfer window but were unable to prise the 22-year-old away from Newcastle, who responded by tying him to a new long-term contract. Despite that setback, the report suggests Hall is open to a move to Old Trafford, and United are prepared to test Newcastle’s resolve again in the January window.

Truffert, a French left-back expected to leave Rennes next summer, is also said to be on United’s radar as the club looks to address a position that has been a persistent problem since Luke Shaw’s long-term injury troubles began. The 22-year-old has attracted substantial interest from multiple clubs.

The transfer planning comes against a turbulent backdrop at Old Trafford. Carrick has been managing without nine senior players and has had to publicly field questions about former manager Erik ten Hag’s claim, in an interview with The Athletic, that United’s ownership made broken promises and that there was a “toxic” atmosphere within the dressing room. Carrick has declined to be drawn into the dispute.

United’s search for a permanent manager continues to circle around Antonio Conte, who left Napoli in the summer and remains without a club. According to Italian outlet TMW Radio, Conte has set out specific conditions — understood to relate to squad reconstruction over several seasons — before he would consider rejoining Juventus, the club he led to three consecutive Serie A titles between 2011 and 2014.

The report suggests that if Juventus cannot meet those guarantees, Conte is likely to favour a move to United instead. The 55-year-old has spoken publicly about his desire to revive a club that has lost its way, telling The Athletic: “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.”

Both United and Juventus fit the profile Conte described. United currently sit 13th in the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than the European places, and face Bournemouth on Sunday in urgent need of a result.