Man Utd next boss: Chelsea 'keen' on Antonio Conte to take job for one reason

MANCHESTER UNITED have been linked with Antonio Conte to take over from Jose Mourinho, and Chelsea are very keen on such a move for one key reason.

Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2018 by Dailystar.co.uk

The bookies have the Portuguese boss down as the favourite to become the first manager to lose his job this year.

And among the frontrunners to take over is former Chelsea boss Conte, according to the Telegraph.

As well as the Old Trafford job, the Italian has been linked with the Bayern Munich and Real Madrid hotseat - with both super-clubs surprisingly struggling in their domestic leagues.

The Blues are watching the former Juventus coach to see what his next move will be - with huge ramifications if he does take on the United job.

After sacking Conte in the summer, Chelsea have yet to agree a severance package with him.

Under the terms of the final year on his contract, Conte would be entitled to £9m but the Stamford Bridge outfit have argued that he contributed to his own dismissal.

With the matter potentially going to court, the club are keen to see Conte join another club soon - with one in mind.

Under the terms of his Chelsea deal, Conte would forgo any compensation owed to him from the time he took over at another English side but that is not thought to apply if he goes overseas, according to the Telegraph.

Man Utd have been linked with Antonio Conte

Man Utd next boss: Chelsea 'keen' on Antonio Conte to take job for one reason
Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho has come under huge pressure

It means if Conte arrives at Old Trafford before the New Year, it will cost him £5m - but taking over at Real or Bayern would still mean a pay-off would have to be negotiated.

Conte was also Mourinho's successor at Chelsea, where he won the Premier League at the first time of asking.

However, his second season was fraught with player bust-ups and arguments with the hierarchy - a situation that seems to echo that in Manchester at the moment.

And while Mourinho is under immense pressure, he will hope that the weekend will be a turning point in United's season.

The Old Trafford outfit beat Newcastle 3-2 on Saturday after going 2-0 down in 10 minutes to complete a remarkable comeback.

It saw the Red Devils bounce back from a run of four games without a win, including a loss to West Ham and a defeat on penalties to Derby in the Carabao Cup.

Amid the poor performances on the pitch have been a number of bust-ups off it, with Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Eric Bailly all said to have come under fire.