Antonio Conte Responds to Manchester United Links as Carrick Pressure Mounts

Antonio Conte has responded to talk linking him with the Manchester United job, but he has not ruled out a return to the Premier League in the future.

The Italian has been out of work since leaving Napoli in the summer. United have been heavily linked with him after a poor start to the season under Michael Carrick, whose side are enduring their joint-worst ever start to a Premier League campaign. They were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton recently.

Speaking to The Athletic, Conte, who has also managed Chelsea and Tottenham, said another job in English football still appeals to him. He added that he would think about taking over a club mid-season "if it's worth it". He also spoke about how much money is in the English game.

"In England today they're using bazookas, while everywhere else they're still using a pistol," Conte said. "But we also need to be careful about how the money is spent. That's why we were talking earlier about making the right assessments, about having a vision, because you may well have the money, but you have to spend it wisely."

Conte has won league titles in both England and Italy. Juventus have also been linked with their former boss, although they recently backed their current manager, Luciano Spalletti.

The 57-year-old made it clear that any new job must come with big ambitions. He wants a club that is chasing success, not one that is just happy to take part.

"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," he said.

"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**k, we can win'.

"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."

For now, Conte seems happy to wait. The pressure on Carrick, meanwhile, keeps growing at Old Trafford.