Antonio Conte Emerges As Shock Managerial Target For Barcelona

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has emerged as a shock candidate for the Barcelona job, as per reports in Spain.

Following current Barca manager Luis Enrique’s confirmation that he will be parting ways with the club at the end of this season, the Catalan giants have seriously begun looking for his potential successors.

As per trusted Sky Sports journalist Guillem Balague, Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli and Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino were both identified as the best possible candidates for the job. But with both these managers strongly committed to their current clubs, Barcelona have had to look elsewhere, and have reportedly ended up targeting Chelsea’s Antonio Conte.

The Italian has impressed hugely since he left the Italian National Team for the Premier League side, despite having struggled during the beginning of his life in England. But now, with the Blues sitting 10 points clear at the top of the league table with just 11 more games to go, he looks very much on the course of winning the decorated title in his debut season.

Conte’s brilliance at Chelsea’s helm seems to have impressed the Barcelona board as well, and the La Liga club is now planning to lure him to Camp Nou.

However, it remains extremely unlikely that Conte will leave Chelsea after just one season, especially amid reports of a new contract being on the table. According to Sky Sports, Blues owner Roman Abramovich wants to tie Antonio Conte down with a long term contract as soon as possible, and the new deal will possibly be signed ‘in a matter of days’.