Manchester United boss Michael Carrick next to the club badge
Manchester United boss Michael Carrick has endured a tough start to the season
The prospect of Antonio Conte taking charge at Manchester United as a replacement for Michael Carrick is starting to gather serious pace in Italy amid claims the six-time title winner has already reached a decision on a prospective move to Old Trafford.
Supporters were given cause for optimism when Carrick took on the reins at Old Trafford in the aftermath of Ruben Amorim getting the sack, transforming the side from an underperforming one to a team that qualified for the Champions League and a third-placed Premier League finish with ease.
Understandably, co-owners INEOS were united in their decision to hand Carrick the job on a permanent basis, though club bosses also did their due diligence on several other options before officially confirming the 44-year-old’s appointment on an initial two-year deal.
But just a matter of months into his reign, questions over Carrick’s future are now starting to be asked, and one of the club’s former players even doubted whether the manager would even see the January window given the way the team are performing.
Reports in Italy have taken those doubts one step further, and on Tuesday a report revealed that club bosses were considering an approach to serial winner Conte as a potential next coach.
Now, in a follow-up article, il Corriere dello Sport are ramping up their claims that Conte‘s move to Old Trafford is gathering momentum, with the manager – out of work since leaving Napoli at the end of last season – described as ‘waiting by the phone’ for United’s call.
They claim the 57-year-old is eager to get back into football as soon as possible, but will wait for the right opportunity, having turned down a chance to take charge of the Italian national side again and having also rejected an approach from Fenerbahce.
And while a move to Old Trafford would appeal greatly – and it’s not the first time he’s been touted for the Red Devils job – the Italian paper claims competition is heating up for his services, with Juventus also considering an approach to bring him back to the Allianz Stadium.
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Man Utd to sack Carrick?
No doubt hiring Conte – a man with a 58.04% win percentage record across his 703 games in management – would put a proven coach at the very heart of Old Trafford and give the Red Devils an even greater belief that good times could be about to return to the club.
However, despite their struggles at the start of this season, there are absolutely no considerations at Old Trafford over Carrick’s future and particularly just a matter of months into their appointment of him in a permanent role.
Furthermore, there is an understanding that, given the big changes made to their midfield this summer, it was always going to take time for those new names to bed in.
As a result of all that, Fabrizio Romano recently spoke out on Carrick’s future in the wake of Sunday’s hugely disappointing 1-0 defeat to 10-man Manchester City at Old Trafford.
“Man Utd absolutely remain convinced that the future will be bright under Michael Carrick,” Romano said on his YouTube channel.
“Manchester United absolutely know that maybe the point about the summer transfer window was to add one more player, a left-back. They tried. It was not possible to proceed with the right options.
“United didn’t want to sign just to say: ‘OK, we signed one.’ They wanted to be convinced about the player they were going to sign, and so that’s why nothing happened.
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“But they maintain total faith and confidence in Michael Carrick. They only have four points in four Premier League games, so obviously this is disappointing in terms of results, but Man Utd remain convinced about that.
“Carrick remains absolutely convinced too. What Carrick says in public – ‘We are going to do very well, I am confident, this team is good’ and all the rest – is what he’s saying to the club.
“Carrick remains absolutely convinced that this team can do very well in the next weeks and months, especially after the break. So that’s the feeling of Michael Carrick.”