Napoli Quietly Begin Shortlisting Alternatives to Conte | OneFootball

Napoli believe Antonio Conte will stay, but they don’t want to be unprepared should he leave abruptly to take the Milan or the Juventus job. They had big troubles the last time they lost a top-notch coach out of the blue, Luciano Spalletti. It took them a year and three stabs to find their next proper one.

According to TuttoSport (via Calciomercato), the current Partenopei boss didn’t give any reassurances about his future following the clash with the Rossoneri despite a week filled with chatter about his exit and links to other sides.

Conte is under contract with Napoli until 2027. However, he would find a way to terminate it if he were unhappy with the club’s direction. In that event, the Azzurri would go after Massimiliano Allegri and Gian Piero Gasperini. Aurelio De Laurentiis already courted them in the past.

Per Tuttomercatoweb, the manager is discontent with how the team operated on the transfer market in January. He had asked for a speedy winger without necessarily naming names. Instead, the officials wasted time pursuing top players who didn’t join. Moreover, the boss wanted another fullback who could star on both wings and a center-back who could challenge Amir Rrahmani.

Our Take on Napoli and Conte

This kind of stuff happens routinely with him, but it’s unfortunate that it has started so early and in the thick of the Scudetto race. It’s an unnecessary distraction. He didn’t do anything to stop the buzz, so while he most likely hasn’t made up his mind already, there’s probably a kernel of truth. Their January window was an abject disaster for a title contender. Their summer budget and some promises could do the trick and keep him where he is.