Former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Antonio Conte is now the top choice at Bayern Munichas they search for a new manager, according to reports.
Last month, it was announced that Thomas Tuchel would be leaving Bayern at the end of the season with the German giants on course to finish without a trophy for the first time since 2012.
His team were eliminated from the German Cup by a third-tier club and are 10 points behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga with only eight games remaining.
They still have a chance in the Champions League but have been drawn against tough opponents, and if they beat Arsenal in the quarter-finals they will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the semis.
Leverkusen boss and former Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso has emerged as the early frontrunner to take over at the Allianz Arena, with reports indicating he was the club’s top target.
The Spaniard has achieved great success at Leverkusen, with his team still undefeated across all competitions this season, extending their unbeaten run to 38 games.
Another one of Alonso’s former clubs, Liverpool, are also very interested in his services, although he might still stay at BayArena for the start of the next season.
However, a new report from Italian outlet la Repubblica, via talkSPORT, Conte is actually the top candidate on Bayern’s list of managerial targets and is seen as a priority appointment.
The 54-year-old has been without a job since being fired by Spurs almost a year ago today after a failed 17 months in North London.
One of the most successful managers of his generation, Conte has won four Serie A titles with Juventus and Inter Milan, as well as the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017.
Despite his time with Tottenham ending badly, he is still highly regarded and reportedly was approached by Bayern a few months ago, but negotiations have been difficult.
If he goes to Munich, Conte would be reunited with former Spurs players Harry Kane and Eric Dier, with Kane being one of the few players the Italian managed to bring out their best.
The England captain scored 43 goals and provided 14 assists in 75 appearances under the manager – numbers he is close to matching in his first season at Bayern with fewer games.
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