Antonio Conte has been heavily linked with a return to Juventus, but his Napoli exit isn’t a given at this stage.
The 55-year-old has been identified by some sources in Italian football as the favourite candidate to take over Juventus next season.
The Lecce native signed a three-year deal with Napoli last summer, but it has been recently revealed that his contract can be unilaterally rescinded at the end of the season without any repercussions. The manager has been tipped to pull off this manoeuvre, with some reports claiming that his rapport with Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis has hit an all-time low.
But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via JuventusNews24, there could be a U-turn in the making, as Conte is now considering extending his collaboration with Napoli.
Despite his tense relationship with the club patron, the work of the former Chelsea and Spurs manager has been highly appreciated in the Southern Italian city, as he managed to restore Napoli’s status as a genuine contender for the Scudetto title.
The Azzurri’s resurgence surprised many, given that they finished the previous campaign in woeful 10th place.
So as the source explains, Conte is now willing to linger at the Stadio Maradona if the management is willing to back him on the market.
This development coincides with a growing number of reports tipping Igor Tudor to be confirmed as Juventus manager for next season following his encouraging start.
The Croatian was appointed as interim coach after replacing Thiago Motta last month, and has already collected seven points from his first three outings.
If the 46-year-old succeeds in securing a place in the Champions League next season, he would earn the job on a permanent basis, especially if Conte rules himself out of contention by deciding to stay at Napoli.
