Man Utd have been watching a player Antonio Conte once wanted to sign, as an obvious fix to a big problem appears.
Manchester United are keeping an eye on a striker that Antonio Conte once tried to sign when he was in charge at Napoli, as they look to fix their big problem up front.
United have had their worst start ever in a Premier League season, sitting in the relegation zone with just eight points from 10 games after a late draw against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Michael Carrick is expected to be shown the door, just six months into his two-year contract at Old Trafford, after talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada, and director of football Jason Wilcox. His time at the club hasn’t gone well, partly because of some poor signings over the summer.
Meanwhile, INEOS spent around £155 million on midfielders like Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Carlos Baleba but didn’t strengthen other key areas such as left-back and striker, which has left Carrick short in several positions. Benjamin Sesko’s shin injury, keeping him out until January, hasn’t helped either.
Instead of trusting Joshua Zirkzee to lead the attack while Sesko is injured, Bryan Mbeumo has mostly played as the centre-forward—though that could change during the upcoming transfer window.
Reports from Calciomercato say United sent scouts to watch Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito score in Inter’s 2-0 win over Como on Sunday. Esposito, who has scored three goals in eight league starts this season, clearly caught their eye with his sharp finish at the San Siro.
At just 21 years old, the Italian striker is seen as one of Europe’s most exciting talents. Inter value him very highly and aren’t keen on selling, especially since he’s under contract until 2032. They would reportedly want a huge €100 million (£83 million) to let him go.
Standing tall at 6ft 3in, with great strength, good movement, and top-level finishing skills, Esposito could really boost United’s attack. But with that price tag, it seems unlikely they’ll make a move—unless Antonio Conte becomes the next manager.
Conte, one of the leading candidates alongside Mauricio Pochettino, Eddie Howe, and Julian Nagelsmann, once tried to sign Esposito for Napoli. Back in summer 2025, Napoli was reportedly ready to offer around £25 million for him under Conte’s direction. Since then, Esposito’s value has soared, while Conte left Napoli in May after finishing second behind Inter. Now, Conte is looking for his next chance in management—and if he comes to United, Esposito might be high on his wishlist.