Antonio Conte has hinted he would be willing to take the Manchester United manager's job. The Italian has been without a club since leaving Napoli last season, where he once more secured silverware during his two-year tenure.
He became just the second manager to deliver the Serie A crown to Naples since the era of Diego Maradona in the late 1980s. It has enhanced a CV that also includes league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan.
Pressure on Carrick
His trophy-winning pedigree has seen him linked with the United job on numerous occasions over the years. With pressure growing on Michael Carrick following a slow start to the season, the Italian himself has fuelled speculation that he would be up for the task of restoring United to their former glories.
Conte has told The Athletic he can see his next job being with a fallen giant and "make it shine once more." That could be used to describe United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Conte's ambition
He said: "If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself - a history made up of trophies, league titles and victories - you can only honour that history in one way: by having the ambition to bring that club back, if it isn't there today, to fight for those goals.
"I know full well that only one team can win every year, but I must carry in my heart, and instil in the hearts of the fans, my players and my directors, that spark, that hope that makes you say, 'f***, we can win.' You only make history by winning.
"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, but to compete."
Fit concerns and next fixtures
Conte's relatively short managerial tenures have previously been highlighted as a concern, having not spent longer than two years at a club since his spell at Juventus between 2011 and 2014.
Gary Neville has previously argued that Conte and United would not be the ideal fit, saying: "I don't think they'll go for that option, personally. He's a great manager but I think certain managers fit certain clubs and I don't think Conte fits United personally."
Following the international break, United return to action against Tottenham on Saturday with Carrick desperately needing a positive result following just one league win in five. It starts a tricky spell for United, who visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to fifth-placed Leeds United on October 18.
