Damien Delaney believes Antonio Conte would be a "great fit" for Manchester United and has suggested the manager could leave Tottenham Hotspur if they're on the receiving end of a Manchester City mauling.
Despite making a strong start to life in north London following his appointment in November, the Italian has ran into difficulty in recent weeks, experiencing three successive Premier League defeats, including last weekend's forgettable 2-0 home reverse to Wolves.
With that in mind, a trip to Premier League table-toppers City is probably the last thing that Conte and Spurs would have wished for at this moment in time, with Pep Guardiola's troops brimming with confidence and boasting an unbeaten run in the Premier League that dates all the way back to October.
With Conte reportedly already growing restless in north London because of off-field issues in addition to those on the pitch, speculation about the Italian's future is mounting.
With that in mind, Delaney believes Conte could be treading on thin ice if City blow them away this evening, whilst suggesting he could be a good short-term fix for United.
"If Spurs get a hiding, which is a real possibility, it could be the last straw, that Conte could come up with another interview and then things get very, very messy at Tottenham between now and the end of the season and this top four bid falls apart”, Delaney told Off The Ball.
"Conte is such a volatile character; he owes nobody anything, he wears his emotions firmly on his sleeve and it could get very messy for Spurs.
"I genuinely believe that interview is the first shot across the bows for Daniel Levy, that I will not stand for broken promises and I will not hang around here, especially when there is a job in Manchester becoming available in the summer.
"I think Conte is a great fit for Manchester United, maybe not long term, but they need somebody to arrest the slide and grab that football club, top to bottom, by the scruff of the neck."
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