Talks Held: Man Utd Chiefs Make Antonio Conte Top Target to Replace Carrick

· GiveMeSport

Michael Carrick is under mounting pressure at Old Trafford after a tough start to the season

Manchester United have reportedly made Antonio Conte their number one target to replace Michael Carrick, as details emerge about initial talks between the parties.

After a stunning second half of the 2025-26 season, Man United would have been expecting to kick on again in the 2026-27 campaign.

Club chiefs unsurprisingly decided to give Michael Carrick the job on a permanent basis after a remarkable run of form saw them comfortably secure a third-place finish in the Premier League, and return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023-24.

However, instead of progressing again, the Red Devils players currently look more like those who struggled under Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag previously.

United have won only two of their opening seven matches this term, and they were two fixtures they were expected to win at home to newly-promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League minnows Sabah.

Aside from that, they have been beaten by Hull City, Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion, the latter at two, while securing draws against Everton and Fulham.

Carrick's men were fortunate to get that point against Alvaro Arbeloa's men after a performance that was widely criticised by many pundits, including former Red Devil Gary Neville, who claimed he witnessed one of the worst 15 minutes he'd seen in all of his years watching the club.

The pressure is mounting on Carrick and performances and results clearly need to improve if the club is to achieve their aims this season.

Carrick's Record as Man United Manager

25-26

26-27

Games

17

7

Wins

12

2

Draws

3

2

Losses

2

3

Win percentage

70.59%

28.57%

After the longer international break, they face two vital matches in the space of three days at home to Tottenham Hotspur, who are bottom of the table, and away at Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

United seemingly already have a plan in place if things do go wrong, with Calciomercato reporting that the club has decided on Conte as their top target if a change needs to be made.

Initial contact has already been made about the availability of the 57-year-old, who is a free agent after leaving Napoli at end of last season.

It's no surprise that United would be considering Conte if they do decide to make a change in the dugout.

Firstly, he is one of the best managers available on the market right now following his exit from Napoli, and he has proven he is a serial winner during spells with Juventus, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Napoli.

He has managed at the highest level with all of those clubs, and has a lot of experience leading clubs in the Champions League too.

Antonio Conte's Trophy Haul as Manager:

Some people were underwhelmed at the time by his spell in charge of Tottenham, but their decline since suggests that maybe it wasn't all bad, considering he won 41 of his 76 matches at the helm of the north London outfit.

The one concern with Conte is that he can be quite volatile and isn't afraid to speak his mind, and he perhaps likes to have more control than he would have at Old Trafford working under the likes of Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada.

His record of winning league titles will be particularly attractive though, given that is the level United want to reach in the coming years, as they eventually hope to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.

Former Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is certainly a big fan of his Italian counterpart, praising him ahead of the two clubs meeting in the Champions League last term.

> I have great respect for Antonio Conte. He’s had an exceptional career and he passes on to his players the passion he had as a footballer. I remember when he coached Chelsea; they were very strong defensively and he won a lot.

Carrick still has some credit in the bank, but the latest reports suggest that club chiefs are doing their due diligence on potential replacements already.

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