Antonio Conte will soon meet Steven Zhang to discuss his future amid the uncertain economic situation of the club. While the decision will be final only after the rendezvous, there is positive momentum towards the coach staying put, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The manager is eager to lead the team to its historic 20th Scudetto next season. The front office has not seriously taken into consideration a split and has not inquired about other managers. The chairman has been focusing on securing a sizeable loan to bankroll the club.
The meeting could happen as soon as this week, but the timing is not set in stone yet and will hinge on the ongoing negotiations with the funds. Zhang wants to reassure Conte that the financial problems will not resurface in the future in their vis-à-vis. The atmosphere is completely different from a year ago, when the Italian coach had to be talked into staying in an all-hands summit in a secret location.
Conte, who has not received offers from other teams, would prefer to confirm most of the roster, with which he has created a strong bond. However, he is hell-bent on keeping just a select number of players, especially Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez, and Nicolò Barella. He would accept some departures to lower the payroll if proper replacements were brought in. Given this year’s dominance, the gaffer believes Inter can be successful again simply thanks to the corporate knowledge they have built in the last two years and do not necessarily need significant transfer market investments.