Antonio Conte has pushed back on speculation that he is in active negotiations with any club to return to management. It comes primarily amid a swell of talk about potentially replacing Michael Carrick at Manchester United as pressure builds on the Red Devils.

Conte, who has won six league championships with four teams in Italy and England, has also been tentatively linked with Juventus and AC Milan in his homeland. Juve, where he was previously in charge between 2011 and 2014, are already playing catchup on Serie A’s leading teams, although Milan have since recovered from a minor wobble in September.

The 57-year-old was most recently employed by Napoli, taking the team to the Serie A title in 2024–25. But he left by mutual consent at the end of last season and has not returned to work. His record of success and current availability naturally lends itself to intrigue.

Conte appears open to considering interest in hiring him, but he felt compelled on Friday to “clarify” the state of play.…