Man Utd react to Conte hinting at replacing Carrick as INEOS decide on changing manager ‘now’

Manchester United have reportedly ‘shortlisted’ Antonio Conte after he hinted at his willingness to replace Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.

Conte has begun to rear his head ahead of a potential return to management in the coming months.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss has been out of work since leaving Serie A giants Napoli at the end of last season, but he has now hinted at what he wants to do next.

In what seemed a pointed message to Man Utd, Conte has outlined his vision for the Red Devils and how he would make them ‘shine’ once again.

And the manager’s job at Man Utd could soon be available because current boss Carrick is under pressure after a poor start to the 2026/27 campaign.

Last month, we reported that Man Utd have no concerns about Carrick, but he surely needs to improve his side’s form after they only picked up five points from their first five Premier League games this season.

Now, in response to Conte’s recent public statement, a report from journalist Pete O’Rourke for Football Insider claims Man Utd have decided to ‘shortlist’ the respected boss, though they currently plan to stick with Carrick.

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O’Rourke explained: “If Manchester United do make a decision to look for a new manager and get rid of Michael Carrick, Antonio Conte will be one of the names in the frame.

“He is a proven winner, as shown by his spell at Chelsea and the great success he has had in Italy as well.

“He’s out of work, so it would be lot easier to try and bring him in.

“Obviously people were putting two and two together with Manchester United and him, but look, they are sticking with Carrick for now and they’re hoping that he can turn things around.

“Conte, because of his previous record of success and obviously him being out of work, he’s going to be on a number of clubs’ lists if they do want to make a managerial change.”

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Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano revealed what ‘signals’ Man Utd are ‘sending’ about Carrick, while he also namedropped Conte.

Romano wrote: ‘Manchester United is sending signals of confidence when it comes to Michael Carrick for one reason above all: the club feels it, believes the players are 100% behind the manager, there’s no fracture or break.

‘But three defeats, two draws, and just two wins (at home to Ipswich and Sabah) in the last seven games are too few to remain safe.

‘Improvement and a turnaround are needed to avoid the first clouds over Old Trafford: the names of Conte and Julian Nagelsmann, available after leaving Germany, are circulating for various reasons; the former Bayern player was on United’s list years ago.

‘But the club persists, placing their faith in Carrick, hoping to improve and reverse the trend starting with the home match against Tottenham.’

Whether the former Liverpool manager would take the job at Spurs or at the Red Devils has been revealed

Man Utd are sticking with Carrick for the time being, though his fate will be decided by results and the club are increasingly enamoured with a 48-year-old who boasts two clear advantages over Carrick

The Italian manager is ready to become the new manager of the Red Devils, as an update on Carrick’s future emerges

Carrick is entering a ‘decisive’ period at United, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist also providing the latest on Antonio Conte

Conte has auditioned for the United job in a new interview, with Carrick under pressure to turn performances and results around

Two out-of-work managers are on the radar of the Premier League giants as potential replacements for Carrick, according to reports