Former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter manager Antonio Conte has been linked with replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Manchester United hot seat.

What's the story?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, United chiefs have started to hold Solskjaer's future in doubt after a string of disappointing displays and poor results, with Conte the preferred option to take over the reins.

The report claims that the plan to bring the Italian tactician to Old Trafford is gathering pace amid growing discontent in the red half of Manchester and goes on to state that a deal could soon be done while the Red Devils remain in and around the top of the Premier League.

Some fans will be buzzing

Although Solskjaer has done a magnificent job during his time in charge of United, some of the club's supporters will be buzzing at the prospect of Conte replacing the 48-year-old.

While the ex-Molde boss has overseen a successful squad rebuild, recorded consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and brought through the likes of Mason Greenwood and Dean Henderson from United's academy, he's still failed to win any major silverware.

The 20-time English champions came close to ending their four-year wait for a major trophy last season before being defeated by Villarreal on penalties in the Europa League final, but a slow start to the current campaign has quickly changed the mood at the Theatre of Dreams.

A 4-2 defeat at the hands of Leicester City last time out condemned United to their fourth defeat of 2021/22 in all competitions, and with a tough run of fixtures ahead, things could get even worse for Solskjaer's charges.

As a result, Conte has now entered the frame to replace the Scandinavian, and he could prove to be a controversial replacement if the club's chiefs press ahead with his proposed appointment.

During his managerial career, the 52-year-old has won an abundance of major honours, including three Serie A titles with Juve, a Premier League and FA Cup crown with Chelsea and another Scudetto with Inter last season. With that in mind, some supporters would surely be elated at him joining the Red Devils.

However, he has never stayed in one job longer than three years, in part due to his fiery and confrontational character, something that may not be appealing to some United fans.

It remains to be seen whether Solskjaer can keep hold of his job over the coming weeks and months, but with tricky fixtures against Atalanta, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur up next, it could be a crucial period for the retired striker's future prospects.

And, in other news...Report reveals concerning update over “quality” Man Utd maestro, Ole will be worried