Antonio Conte's Agent Says There Has Been 'No Contact' from Real Madrid

Antonio Conte's agent has said there has been no contact from Real Madrid amid speculation the Italian is in line to replace Julen Lopetegui as manager.

According to Sid Lowe of the Guardian, Los Blancos have decided that Lopetegui will be axed despite only being appointed ahead of the 2018-19 season, although the club's hierarchy has yet to decide when he will be given his marching orders.

Conte, who left Chelsea in the summer and is still unemployed, has been linked with the position, although Daniele Conte told Cadena SER his client has yet to have a call from Los Blancos (h/t Chris Burton of Goal).

"Antonio is on holiday," he said. "He has not received any calls from Real Madrid. Yes, Real Madrid is a great team, but there has been no contact."

Sky Sports reported that Conte had been approached by the European champions with a view to taking over should Lopetegui be axed, with the Italian said to be president Florentino Perez's top target.

"Sky sources understand the former Italy manager rejected the chance to join Real Madrid last summer in order to take a break from football following his departure from Stamford Bridge," Sky Sports noted.

Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC said when Zinedine Zidane left his position at the end of last season that the former Blues and Juventus boss would have been an ideal replacement:

Conte's record speaks for itself, as he's achieved success in all of his recent roles. At Juventus, he won three Serie A titles, while with Chelsea, he won the Premier League in his debut term and the FA Cup in his second campaign.

Squawka Football summed up some of his other achievements while in the English game:

He is a reputable figure in the football world, and Los Blancos have looked like a team in need of some leadership. After their 2-1 loss to Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, they slumped to sixth place in La Liga.

For Lopetegui, the end appears to be near, with Sunday's Clasico showdown with Barcelona a potential make-or-break fixture for him.

AS summed up how precarious the former Spain manager's position appears to be in the Spanish capital:

Conte's passionate and detailed approach to coaching could reinvigorate Madrid, although his style has jarred with some players in the past. Still, if Los Blancos move on from Lopetegui and are keen on salvaging this season, he may be the best available candidate.

Elsewhere, Carlos Carpio of Marca reprtoed that while Conte and former Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc are in the frame, Real Madrid Castilla coach Santiago Solari is the club's preferred choice in the event of a change of management.