Antonio Conte is reportedly on the verge of leaving Napoli, with the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager increasingly expected to take over the vacant role as head coach of the Italian national team, according to reports in Italy.
Conte’s expected departure from Napoli
Conte, 56, arrived in Naples in June 2024 on a three-year contract initially worth a reported €11 million per season (€6 million net), with bonuses for winning Serie A or the Champions League, though other reports from the time put the deal at €6.5 million per year plus add-ons. His debut campaign was a resounding success: Napoli won their fourth Serie A title, restoring the club to the summit of Italian football.
However, the 2025-26 season has been markedly different. Napoli finished a distant second to Inter Milan in the league, a performance described internally as “tumultuous”. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Conte and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis have been in discussions about a possible exit since mid-April. The manager has openly flirted with a return to international management in recent weeks, notably telling reporters: “If I were the president of the Italian Football Federation, I would consider myself.”
That remark is said to have sparked a showdown between Conte and De Laurentiis. The pair are thought to have reached a respectful agreement over the manager’s future. Conte’s contract contains no buyout clause, meaning Italian rules would allow him to resign and forfeit his remaining wages should he choose to leave this summer.
Tension has also simmered behind the scenes with one of his star players, Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian striker, whom Conte brought to Naples after their successful partnership at Inter Milan, has endured a frustrating, injury-strewn campaign. A hamstring injury sustained in pre-season limited Lukaku to just 64 minutes across seven appearances. He has since left Naples to continue his rehabilitation in Belgium, a move that sources suggest could mark a final parting. Conte has expressed disappointment at Lukaku’s lack of communication during his recovery. Lukaku’s contract with Napoli runs until June 2027.
Maurizio Sarri emerges as front-runner
With Conte nearing the exit, Napoli are considering one of their former coaches as the leading candidate to replace him. Maurizio Sarri, who managed Napoli between 2015 and 2018, is thought to be the front-runner for the position. Sarri and Conte share a common thread: both endured brief spells at Chelsea, with Sarri taking charge for the 2018-19 season, winning the Europa League, before moving on.
Sarri is currently at Serie A rivals Lazio, having been reappointed in June 2025 on an initial two-year contract with an option for a further year. The deal was later extended to 2028, with his salary remaining at €2.5 million per season. Yet his return to Rome has not gone smoothly. After a defeat in the Rome derby on Sunday, Sarri told DAZN: “This season’s situation hasn’t pleased me. I wasn’t listened to at all, and I’m far from happy. Perhaps the club isn’t happy either. Let’s finish the season and see if they have anything to say to me.”
Should Sarri return to the Amalfi coast, he would inherit a squad that has thrived on Premier League cast-offs. Scott McTominay, a Manchester United youth graduate who joined Napoli in 2024 for a reported £25.7 million (€30.5 million), became a focal point of the side, winning Serie A in his debut season, being named league MVP, and earning a Ballon d’Or nomination. He scored his first Serie A goal 25 seconds into a match against Como and netted both goals in a 2-0 win over Torino in April 2025. He was named Serie A Player of the Month for April, the first Scottish player to win the award. McTominay has scored in double figures this season, matching Marek Hamšík’s record for a Napoli midfielder. He also scored in the 3-0 win over Pisa that secured Champions League qualification.
Rasmus Højlund, another former Manchester United player, joined Napoli on loan in 2023 with a conditional obligation to buy if Champions League qualification was achieved. That condition was met after Napoli’s 3-0 victory over Pisa on 17 May 2026, triggering a permanent transfer fee of £38 million (€44 million). Højlund scored his first goal on his debut against Fiorentina, struck a brace in the Champions League against Sporting CP in October 2025, and has scored 15 goals for the club this season. Billy Gilmour, the former Chelsea and Brighton midfielder, made his Napoli debut on 15 September 2024 in a 4-0 win at Cagliari.
Massimiliano Allegri also in contention
AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri is another candidate under consideration at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Allegri’s future at Milan is reportedly in doubt due to disagreements with Zlatan Ibrahimović and internal boardroom friction. He is also mentioned as a potential replacement for Gennaro Gattuso as Italy coach, alongside Conte, Roberto Mancini, and Simone Inzaghi.
Gattuso left the Italy role by mutual consent on 3 April 2026 after the national team failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff. It marks the third consecutive World Cup Italy have missed. Gattuso, who had taken over from Luciano Spalletti in June 2025, saw his contract automatically terminated when the qualification failure became final.
