Juventus has had a troubled start to the season, with Massimiliano Allegri on the firing line. Meanwhile, reports state that the Old Lady could target Antonio Conte as his ideal replacement. Will it be possible?
Italian giants Juventus have endured a rough start to the season. In the ongoing Serie A, it has won just a couple of the seven matches it has played. Besides managing four draws and a loss, it is in eighth place. In the UEFA Champions League (UCL), too, it has had a horror start, losing an opening couple of matches, with four more games to go, as it is placed third in its group table. As a result, legendary club head coach Massimiliano Allegri is being targeted for the string of low-run performances, which began last season and is on the verge of being sacked. Meanwhile, the club is reportedly eyeing fellow Italian and current English giants Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte as his ideal replacement.
As per 90min, Conte happens to be at the top of Juventus's shortlisted managerial candidates. However, given that the Italian has had a great start to the English Premier League (EPL) 2022-23 with Tottenham, making it a potential title contender, neither Conte nor Spurs would be interested in parting ways at this crucial juncture.
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Thus, any deal for Conte for Juventus seems unlikely right now. Also, the Italian might not be interested in returning to his old club, especially since his last stint at the Allianz Stadium ended sourly in 2014. While he wanted the Bianconeri to sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina, his request was turned down, whereas the sale of Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal irked him, leading to his resignation.
It was then that Allegri replaced Conte for the first time. However, despite the foul exit and later guiding Juventus's rival Inter Milan, Conte has maintained good relations with some of the Old Lady's hierarchies. However, the club's financial troubles could also make Conte's signing trickier, with the club set to incur an annual loss of €250 million.
In contrast, the sacking of Allegri could lead to €36 million more. Although Conte's current deal with Tottenham expires at the end of the ongoing season, there is an option to trigger a one-year extension. While the report suggests that Spurs want the Italian to sign the extension already, talks are unlikely to happen before the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Last year, Conte was the top managerial target to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjær at English giants Manchester United and Mauricio Pochettino at French champion Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). However, following the early departure of Nuno Espírito Santo, Tottenham quickly pounced on the Italian and gained his services, stunning all.