"Ronaldo is the reason he's not there now" - Journalist claims Antonio Conte could become Manchester United manager if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves this summer

BeIN Sports journalist Richard Keys has said that Cristiano Ronaldo is the reason Antonio Conte is not already at Manchester United.

Conte was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford last year. However, the Italian tactician put pen to paper on a one-and-a-half-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur, while the Red Devils appointed Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis.

Keys has now made bold claims about Conte's links with the Premier League giants. The former Sky Sports anchor cited Cristiano Ronaldo as the reason why the former Inter Milan manager did not take up the Manchester United job. He added that Conte could take charge of the Red Devils if Ronaldo leaves the club summer. Keys wrote on Twitter:

"If [Cristiano] Ronaldo leaves [Manchester] United this summer, don’t rule out Conte taking the job. Ronaldo is the reason he’s not there now. I sense everyone is positioning right now."

German tactician Rangnick is currently in charge of Manchester United. However, he will move to a consultancy role at the end of the season, with the Red Devils planning to appoint a long-term replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Some have tipped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Mauricio Pochettino to take over the reins at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has also been linked with the job. It remains to be seen if Conte will be considered for the role despite his contract with Spurs.

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Could Antonio Conte move to Manchester United if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves?

Antonio Conte's Tottenham Hotspur contract runs till the end of the 2022-23 season. However, he has had a turbulent stint in charge of the north London outfit.

The Italian tactician has managed Spurs in 19 games across competitions after in November. Tottenham have lost six of those matches, and drawn three.

Conte is also reportedly not happy with the club's transfer business in January. Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli, Bryan Gil and Giovani Lo Celso left the club either on loan or permanently, while Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski were the only incomings.

There are suggestions the former Juventus boss may not see through his current contract with Spurs. In that event, he could be interested in a move to Manchester United in the summer. However, it remains to be seen if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the club at the end of the season.