Antonio Conte: Manchester United's Top Contingency Plan

Manchester United’s season is barely out of first gear and already the managerial carousel is creaking into motion around Old Trafford.

Four points from four Premier League games have reopened old doubts, stirred familiar noise and, according to reports in Italy, pushed Antonio Conte’s name right to the top of United’s contingency plans.

Conte: The Elite Option Waiting by the Phone

Corriere della Sera’s September 15 print edition claims United’s co-owners, INEOS, have identified Conte as their leading candidate should they decide to move on from Michael Carrick.

The profile fits the crisis narrative perfectly. Conte is available. He left Napoli at the end of last season after yet another title-winning campaign, adding the 2025 Serie A crown to a bulging collection of domestic honours.

• Ten major trophies.
• Three straight league titles with Juventus in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
• The Premier League with Chelsea in 2016/17.
• The Scudetto with Inter Milan in 2021.
• Then Napoli’s long-awaited championship two years ago.

Wherever he goes, the league table tends to tilt in his direction.

At 57, he is not scrambling for work. Italian reports describe him as waiting for the “right project” to drag him back into the daily grind of club management. A club of United’s size, with a squad that still carries star power and a fanbase desperate for direction, ticks plenty of boxes.

So his name landing at the top of a Manchester United shortlist is no surprise. It is what happens whenever a superclub looks vulnerable and Conte is between jobs.

Carrick Under Scrutiny, But Not on the Brink

Carrick’s story at United has moved quickly. Appointed interim manager in January 2026, he steadied the ship, then pushed the team to Champions League qualification and earned the permanent job at the end of last season.

That momentum has stalled. One win, one draw and two defeats from the opening four league matches is not the start he or the club envisaged. The Champions League, ironically, has provided his strongest argument so far: United won their first group game of the campaign last week, a reminder that the team is capable of rising to big European nights.

Yet the combination of a slow league start and Conte’s availability has fuelled speculation that INEOS might be tempted into an early, ruthless call.

According to Fabrizio Romano, that is not the case.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano was clear: INEOS are not planning to sack Carrick now. Inside the club, he says, the belief remains that the “future will be bright” under the former midfielder, despite the disappointing points tally.

The owners, Romano explains, accept that the summer window left Carrick one piece short. United tried to bring in a left-back but refused to sign a player they did not fully trust, opting against a stop-gap just to be seen to act. The message from the hierarchy, as relayed by Romano, is one of “total faith and confidence” in their manager.

Carrick, for his part, is said to be just as unwavering. The bullish tone he has adopted in public – insisting this team will “do very well” and stressing his belief in the squad – mirrors what he is telling the board behind closed doors. He views the coming weeks, particularly after the international break, as a chance to reset and push United back up the table.

A Club Caught Between Patience and Temptation

This is where the tension lies. On one side, a coach who has already delivered Champions League qualification and still has the backing of his employers. On the other, one of the most decorated, demanding managers of his generation, sitting idle and waiting.

Italian outlets such as SportWitness and CalcioMercato, echoing Corriere della Sera, insist Conte tops United’s list if the axe eventually falls. That is not a decision for today, according to Romano’s information. But the list exists. The option is real.

For now, INEOS are betting on stability. They are backing Carrick’s conviction that this squad can click once injuries ease, once rhythm returns, once the noise dies down.

The question is simple, and it will not go away: if the results do not turn quickly, how long can any club – let alone Manchester United – ignore a proven serial winner like Antonio Conte waiting in the wings?