Here’s how Man Utd might line up under Antonio Conte, with three new players joining and one star player left out.
With Antonio Conte widely rumoured as a possible replacement for Michael Carrick, we’ve taken a look at what his Manchester United team might look like.
This Sunday afternoon, Manchester United heads to Elland Road to take on rivals Leeds United — a game that feels super important for Carrick if he wants to keep his job.
If United do decide to part ways with Carrick just two months into the season, it’s said that Premier League veteran Conte could step in and shake things up with some big changes to the lineup.
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After leaving Napoli at the end of last season, Conte is currently free and is a popular name linked to a major move to help turn United’s season around.
The Italian coach, who won the Premier League and FA Cup with Chelsea, even hinted in a recent chat that he’s thinking about joining a club like United next.
He told The Athletic, “If you go to a club where the history speaks for itself — trophies, league titles, and big wins — you can only honour that by aiming to bring the club back to fight for those goals.”
He added, “There are many clubs that have lost sight of their history. I’d like to go to one and help dust off that history, make it shine again. Clubs where there’s pressure, where you know you’re not there just to take part, but to compete.”
With United on a run of five games without a win, sitting 13th in the Premier League and already out of the Carabao Cup after their first match, Conte would probably love the challenge of fixing things.
If he did take over, he would likely make quite a few changes. Here’s how we think he might line up.
Since joining from Royal Antwerp for €21m (£18.1m), Belgian keeper Senne Lammens has been key for United and would surely keep his place under Conte.
The biggest changes could come in defence, with Conte likely switching to his favourite 3-4-3 formation with three centre-backs.
After his recent fiery interview following the 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, it seems unlikely Lisandro Martinez will stay at United, so he probably wouldn’t fit in Conte’s plans.
Instead, Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck could join the squad. The 26-year-old German international has been linked with a Premier League move, with Liverpool often seen as favourites—but United would have a good shot if they activated his release clause, reportedly €50-60m (£43.5m–£52.2m).
He could play alongside Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, who might be back soon after his injury.
Full-back spots have been a problem for United, and Conte would likely fix that too. Amad could keep his spot at right-back, but long-term target Lewis Hall may finally arrive if Conte takes charge.
In midfield, with just two spots in Conte’s system, we’d see a surprise: captain Bruno Fernandes might miss out.
His future has been uncertain for a while, and at 32 with his contract ending next summer, he may choose not to stay during another transition.
Instead, young United player Kobbie Mainoo could start, alongside new signing Carlos Baleba, who impressed in his first start recently.
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Up front, a new striker would replace Benjamin Sesko.
While fans might dream of Harry Kane returning to the Premier League to join Conte’s United, Victor Osimhen seems like a more likely signing given United’s current situation.
The Nigerian striker has been linked with moves to England before, with clubs like Chelsea and Spurs interested, but it never happened.
Now, an exciting new project under Conte at Old Trafford and the chance to help bring the club back to greatness could finally be enough to bring Osimhen to the Premier League.
Flanking him, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo would complete Conte’s attack, as they keep showing some of United’s few bright spots.
Of course, it’s still not clear if United will sack Carrick — the decision isn’t certain even if they lose to Leeds on Sunday.
If they do make a change, Conte will likely be just one of several big names linked to the job.
But honestly, if Conte takes over and builds a team like this, it would be pure entertainment to watch!