Antonio Conte Revelation Sparks Intrigue After Summer Manchester United Rumours

Antonio Conte, the current manager of Italy's national team, revealed on Friday he turned down an offer from a "very big English team" while he was still in charge of Juventus, raising the possibility that Manchester United did in fact chase the former midfielder before offering the job to current manager Louis van Gaal.

As reported by the Daily Telegraph's Oliver Pickup, the Italian was on the club's shortlist last summer following his successful spell in charge of the Bianconeri. And in an interview with La Repubblica (h/t Football Italia), the 45-year-old has confirmed he had an offer to move to the Premier League:

"Last year I had several offers.

"There was one from a very big English team, but as a matter of respect I never told anyone. I decided to continue with Juventus. That didn’t last very long, but that’s another story…"

Of the "very big" English clubs, Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini were all settled in their respective posts at Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City over the summer. Arsene Wenger, too, was under little pressure after his FA Cup win. United, by contrast, needed a new leader.

Conte left Juventus shortly before the start of the 2014-15 season to manage the Azzurri, citing difficulties to keep winning with the club, per BBC Sport. Like other Italian teams, the Bianconeri have struggled to bring in high-priced stars in recent years, leading to a severe lack of success on the European stage.

The Italian's admission there was an offer from the Premier League comes at a peculiar time, as there are rumours he might be stepping down as Italy boss. GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal wouldn't be shocked if he left his current post at the end of the season:

As shared by Football Italia, Conte refuted those rumours, claiming he will continue with his current project for the foreseeable future:

Conte is widely regarded as one of the world's best young managers after his stint with Juventus, returning the club to its former glory and winning the Serie A title in his first season in charge. The Bianconeri finished that campaign unbeaten and twice successfully defended their title with Conte at the helm.

United weren't the only club reportedly interested in his services during the summer, as agent Mino Raiola recently revealed he desperately tried to convince his client to join AC Milan, per AC Milan Norway:

Van Gaal eventually succeeded David Moyes as manager of the Red Devils, and after a shaky start to his tenure, the Mancunians have restored their standings in the English football hierarchy, currently sitting third in the Premier League.

The Dutchman is facing some criticism, however, as United's results lately haven't been all that fantastic. The Sunday Times' Jonathan Norcroft chimed in on the matter, and believes the team's current struggles should somewhat absolve Moyes, not doom Van Gaal:

Van Gaal likely won't be sacked anytime soon, unless the club's campaign takes a drastic turn for the worse, but given Conte's admission there was major interest in his services, it's worth keeping an eye on the Italian's future.

He's being linked with a variety of jobs, including AS Roma's, per ESPN's Julian De Martinis, and it's quite possible his latest comments were made in an attempt to increase interest in his services:

"

Could you even imagine the mayhem if Conte became Roma's coach? I can't even. I literally can't even.

— Julian De Martinis (@JulianDM11) February 4, 2015"

If Conte does indeed leave his current post after Euro 2016, there will be plenty of demand from some of Europe's biggest clubs. And should Van Gaal be unable to turn the ship around in Manchester by then, the Red Devils could be a prime destination for the highly rated Italian.  

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