Conte makes Man United demand as talks continue after 4-1 defeat to Como

Conte makes Man United demand as talks continue after 4-1 defeat to Como La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that talks between Antonio Conte and Manchester United representatives continued after a 4-1 loss to Como on Wednesday, with the Italian tactician making clear requests to the Red Devils, including ‘carte blanche’ in the transfer market. Conte is one of the leading candidates for the Manchester United job should Michael Carrick be sacked in the coming days. The Red Devils suffered a 4-1 Champions League loss away at Como on Wednesday, putting further pressure on the ex-England international. PARMA, ITALY – APRIL 12: Antonio Conte, head coach of Napoli SSC looks on during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and SSC Napoli at Stadio Ennio Tardini on April 12, 2026 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images) Repubblica reports that informal talks between Conte and Manchester United representatives continued after last night’s game against Como, with the Italian tactician making clear requests to club directors. According to the report, Conte wants to choose his staff members but, more importantly, have full decision-making power in the transfer market. Conte ‘wants carte blanche in the transfer market and to be allowed to choose the staff members who will join him for his new challenge,’ the Italian newspaper wrote. Conte’s request isn’t a huge surprise, especially after his latest interview with The Athletic, which Football Italia examined here. ITALY – OCTOBER 21: Michael Carrick, Manager of Manchester United, reacts after during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Como 1907 and Manchester United at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on October 21, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Conte is currently without a club after leaving Napoli last summer. He’s also been linked with a return to Juventus, another European footballing giant, but Bianconeri directors are not currently considering replacing Luciano Spalletti. According to Repubblica, Manchester United directors are now assessing Conte’s demands before potentially starting an actual negotiation with the ex-Chelsea and Tottenham coach. According to UK reports, two more candidates are in the running for the Manchester United job. The first one is Julian Nagelsmann, who, according to the Telegraph, is open to replacing Carrick mid-season. The other is Fabian Hürzeler, though TalkSPORT claims the German is uninterested in leaving Brighton for Old Trafford at this stage of the campaign. NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 06: Antonio Conte, head coach of SSC Napoli, reacts during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AC Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 06, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) Conte, meanwhile, is open to signing for a new club. In his latest interview with The Athletic , he said: “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.”