Conte ‘demands £9m to join Inter Milan’ with ex-Chelsea boss set to beat Mourinho to job
The former Juventus and Italy manager is thought to be willing to take the job so long as Inter make him Serie A's highest-paid coach
ANTONIO CONTE is on the verge of taking over at Inter Milan - so long as they make him the highest-paid manager in Serie A.
The 49-year-old is looking for work ahead of next season after he was sacked by Chelsea last summer.
He has emerged as favourite to replace Luciano Spalletti at the San Siro, edging out former boss Jose Mourinho for the top job.
But the former Juventus and Italy manager’s services will come at a price - the Italian is demanding to be paid £9million a year after tax to move to Milan.
Conte is reported to have doubts about managing back in Italy after enjoying his two-year stint in England, which saw him lift the Premier League trophy in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
A salary that would see Conte paid £2.5m a year more than Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri - Serie A’s current highest-paid manager - should be enough to tempt him back to his homeland.
Amazingly, an after-tax salary of £9m a year would still see Conte trailing some of world football’s top managerial earners.
Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone pulled in the most cash of any boss last year, when total earnings and not just wages from his club are taken into account.
Conte’s rival for the Inter job Mourinho raked in an eye-watering £26.6m in 2018 following his sacking and pay-out from Manchester United.
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Hiring Conte would cost Inter president Steven Zhang and general manager Beppe Marotta even more though.
The Inter hierarchy would have to fork out £21.5m in compensation to fire Spalletti.
His deal runs to 2021 but, with Inter 21 points behind leaders Juve and without a league title since 2010, Zhang is understood to be determined to land Conte at all costs.