Former Napoli, Tottenham and Inter manager Antonio Conte has been linked with sensational moves to Manchester United and Juventus in recent weeks. While his future remains uncertain, ex-Juve star Fernando Llorente is sure he will return to Juve.
Reports in Italy have indicated that the Italian is closing in on a Manchester United role. While those are quite premature, Conte will soon have to find a club anyway, having left Napoli in the summer.
Llorente spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport in a detailed interview. Even if the focus was Juveโs Europa League tie against Celta Vigo, the Spaniard was asked about Conteโs future.
He seemed certain he will return to Juve, instead of going to Manchester United.
He said: โOnly one, his favorite team. Sooner or later heโll return home; heโs the ideal coach for Juventus. Antonio is top-notch: he and Ancelotti are the best coaches Iโve ever had.โย
Llorente also expressed belief that Conte being without a job could be a real problem for Luciano Spalletti.
โWeโre talking about another coach who has experience and has won: I think heโs falling asleep thinking about how to improve Juventus, not Conte. Spalletti must focus on winning the Europa League and fighting for the top spots in the league. Expectations are high at Juventus, but we canโt ignore them: the last few seasons have been tough.โย
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Conte lying in wait
It is increasingly clear that Conte wants a new job and is using those around him to push the narrative. Manchester United are closer to sacking their manager than Juve right now, making the Old Trafford hotseat a much-wanted opportunity for Conte.
But so far, there are no signs that things have moved in the right direction.
