Ineos might have received their clearest indication of the sentiment at Old Trafford if Antonio Conte became the next Manchester United manager after Michael Carrick.

Michael Carrick is now left fighting for his role at Old Trafford after an abysmal start to the campaign has seen Manchester United enter a seven-match winless streak.

The 45-year-old former United manager would have to pull off the unthinkable to maintain his place in the Old Trafford hot seat for the remainder of the season.

While Carrick is walking the tightest of ropes at the club, Antonio Conte’s links to United are only adding further pressure on the under-fire Man Utd head coach.

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‘Internal Man Utd people’ would be ‘stunned’ if Ineos backed Antonio Conte to replace Michael Carrick at Old Trafford

Antonio Conte is currently a free agent and the 57-year-old Italian manager has been out of the dugout since he left Serie A side Napoli last season. Manchester United have been linked with Conte before, but nothing further has manifested around his potential arrival at Old Trafford.

However, the former Napoli and Juventus boss is now being tipped as one of the favourites to become the next Man Utd boss. According to The Athletic, it has been reported that ‘people with knowledge’ of Conte have suggested that he would be interested in United.

But the news outlet added that Conte’s desire to take charge of United would come with the ‘reassurances’ around his ‘authority’ in the role. It is also claimed that Man Utd insiders would be ‘stunned’ if Ineos made the decision to appoint Conte.

The sentiments around Conte — from unnamed sources at United — are down to his ‘hardline style’ and the potential ‘combustible episodes’ that could arise between the former Chelsea manager and the club’s hierarchy. Conte’s hot-headed approach and flip-of-the-switch implosions have made him a contentious pick among United fans.

While the Red Devils are struggling under Michael Carrick, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s regime are not having to deal with open warfare against the United manager as they did during Ruben Amorim’s reign. Conte is like a ‘ticking time bomb,’ as seen during his ill-fated Tottenham reign, and the fuse can be lit at any moment and the subsequent shrapnel will hit anyone around him.

The Athletic also claimed that Conte would want ‘firm’ control during a Man Utd reign to ensure that he can oversee players who must take better responsibility for results. While a clampdown on United first-team players would be welcomed, Conte is a high-risk, high-reward appointment for Ineos right now.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s team have been warned over what to expect from Conte and the sentiments around the former Tottenham boss within the Premier League club should be the biggest eye-opener of all for Ineos.