Antonio Conte will reportedly take charge of AC Milan next season in a move that would see him oust title-winning manager Stefano Pioli.
Conte, who used to manage rivals Inter Milan, has been jobless since being sacked by Tottenham last year following a brutal tirade against his players.
Pioli's contract runs until June 2025 but he has come under increasing scrutiny this season, with the Rossoneri third in Serie A and detached from the title race.
Milan are willing to offer Conte a route back into management according to Telelombardia, a regional television outlet, via Football Italia.
The report claims that Conte has talked with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan's senior advisor and former striker who straddled both sides of the city's divide as a player.
His name has been doing the rounds in Italy recently, with other reports claiming he has had several meeting with the top brass at Napoli.
Conte previously led Inter Milan between 2019 and 2021, steering them to the title in his final season, and was also highly successful in the dugout at Juventus.
While taking charge of your former nemeses would be viewed as a bombshell move in England, it has lots of precedent in Italian football - Pioli has managed both San Siro clubs, as did the legendary Giovanni Trapattoni among others.
Conte's stock here fell during his tumultuous reign at Spurs between 2021 and 2023.
While he was able to guide them into the Champions League, his clinical air left supporters with an icy impression.
He delayed talking about a contract renewal in his final season and was eventually let go by 'mutual consent' in March 2023, just over a week after a 3-3 draw at Southampton where Spurs surrendered a two-goal advantage late on.
The Italian laid into his players
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