Manchester United Make Contact with Antonio Conte as Pressure Mounts on Michael Carrick

Manchester United have reportedly made initial contact with Antonio Conte as the club puts contingency plans in place amid growing concern over Michael Carrick's future.

United have made a poor start to the 2026-27 season, with defeats to Hull City, Manchester City and Brighton leaving the team struggling for rhythm despite hopes of building on Carrick's permanent appointment and the club's summer signings.

According to Calciomercato, former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Conte has emerged as United's top candidate and is currently the frontrunner to take over should Carrick be sacked in the coming months. The report claims United officials have already reached out to gauge his availability. Conte has been out of work since leaving Napoli at the end of last season, and while there had been talk of a possible return to the Italy national team, that door appears closed following Roberto Mancini's appointment as Italy boss, leaving a return to the Premier League as a realistic option.

United have picked up straightforward home wins over newly promoted Ipswich Town and Champions League minnows Sabah, but their overall form remains a real concern. The Brighton defeat in particular did lasting damage, ending a 50 year run in which United had never lost a home match after leading 2-0. That collapse has only added to the pressure building on Carrick.

He now faces a three week international break to try to find solutions, with United needing to rediscover the form that saw them finish last season strongly.

The pressure is unlikely to ease once football resumes either. United face two big fixtures within three days of returning from the break, starting with a home game against bottom of the table Tottenham, whose own manager Roberto De Zerbi is also under pressure. Anything less than a win there would pile further pressure on Carrick. That's followed immediately by a tough Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid. Should results not improve across those two games, Conte's move to Old Trafford could happen sooner rather than later.