Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is on the radar of Paris Saint-Germain amid fears over Mauricio Pochettino’s future.
A recent report from the Football Insider has made a rather shocking claim regarding the Paris Saint-Germain managerial position. It appears the Ligue 1 giants are bracing themselves for the potential exit of Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season and have now set their sights on Antonio Conte as a replacement option.
The report suggests that Zinedine Zidane is leading PSG’s shortlist, but the Frenchman is not in a hurry to join Les Parisiens and is willing to wait until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to see if the French national team job becomes available. It has compelled the PSG board to look at other alternatives, with Conte fitting the bill perfectly.
Having coached Inter Milan, Chelsea and Juventus, the Italian has a solid track record. He has won four Serie A titles and one Premier League title, along with an FA Cup. His most recent success came at Inter, when he masterminded the Nerazzurri‘s title-winning campaign in 2020/21, breaking Juventus’ hegemony in Italian football.
However, Conte left Inter at the end of last season after the board failed to properly back him. Similar problems are now emerging in his current role at Tottenham. Especially in the January window, Conte was unhappy with the club’s performance. Spurs failed to sign a single top target, before ultimately setting for Juventus duo Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski on deadline day.
Given the short-term nature of his contract at Tottenham, Conte is open to making an immediate exit from the club, with PSG emerging as a potential destination. As iterated earlier, the French giants are bracing themselves for life without Pochettino, who has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United next season.
Although the Red Devils are set to face strong competition for Real Madrid, it is apparent that Pochettino himself would be keen on sealing a return to the Premier League.
It opens up an opportunity for PSG to sign Conte, whose proven track record, coupled with his tactical brilliance, could make him a viable candidate for the job. However, it is fair to point out that the Italian’s defence-oriented setup might not bode well for gifted attackers such as Neymar or Lionel Messi.
Perhaps more importantly, Conte has a poor track record in Europe. He has never won a continental trophy, and under his leadership, his teams have consistently under-performed in Europe. It may not go down well with a PSG side who have firmly set their sights on the Champions League, having failed to win the coveted tournament even after a decade of QSI funding.
