Manchester United's hopes of appointing Antonio Conte as manager appear to be slipping away, with Juventus now emerging as a serious rival for the Italian's signature, according to reports.

The Red Devils are enduring a difficult 2026-27 Premier League season, sitting 13th in the table as pressure mounts on current manager Michael Carrick. After a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at the weekend, Carrick's position at Old Trafford is, as The Athletic described it, "beginning to feel precarious."

A damaging run of results

The situation worsened last week following a heavy defeat to Atletico Madrid in Europe — a result that prompted defender Lisandro Martinez to make inflammatory public remarks about the club's leadership, further unsettling an already fragile dressing room.

Manchester United also suffered an early exit from the Carabao Cup in September, losing 3-2 at home to Brighton after squandering a 2-0 lead inside nine minutes. Carrick's side now face a trip to Como in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, before hosting Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.

Conte window closing fast

Conte, who previously managed both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in England, had been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford. However, Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb reports that his potential move to Manchester "never materialised," and United's hesitancy may now cost them dearly.

Juventus have reportedly been alerted to Conte's availability amid a turbulent spell at Napoli, where his side lost 1-0 to newly-promoted Venezia at the weekend and sit ninth in the Serie A table with 10 points from seven matches.

At Juventus, manager Luciano Spalletti is also facing intense scrutiny after a 3-0 home defeat to Lazio on Sunday left the Turin club seventh in Serie A with 11 points — a situation that has accelerated the club's interest in Conte as a potential replacement.

Tuttomercatoweb was pointed in its criticism of Conte's current approach at Napoli: "The coach is complicating his life with constant experimentation, offering no certainty. He's playing a complicated game with obscure language, when simplicity is needed."

For Manchester United, the window to act on Conte may be closing — and with Carrick's future far from secure, the club risks being left without a clear managerial solution at a critical moment in the season.