Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte will take over at Inter this summer, Goal can confirm, with the 49-year-old tactician set to take over from Luciano Spalletti in the dugout at San Siro for the 2019-20 season.
In the past few hours, the Nerazzurri have received confirmation from Conte's entourage that the ex-national team boss will accept the Serie A side's proposal, which will see the Italian boss earn around €10 million (£9m/$11m) per year.
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A Juventus icon, Conte won five top-flight Italian titles as a player, as well as the Champions League in 1995-96, and added a further three Serie A crowns on the bounce to his haul while managing the Old Lady from 2011 until 2014.
As such, with Massimiliano Allegri having recently announced his departure after five years at the club, rumours naturally surfaced that Conte would return to Turin – especially in the wake of admitting there was a high chance he would return to Serie A next term.
Those rumours, however, hold little weight. While it is true that the Bianconeri had discussed the possibility of reinstating Conte, their plans to re-hire the coach failed to get past the idea stage, while Inter moved swiftly with a decisive offer.
Indeed, the Giuseppe Meazza outfit, led by CEO Giuseppe Marotta, have prepared Conte's contract in great detail, with Goal of the understanding that everything has been agreed and only a final signature is required to finalise the deal.
The timing of the agreement rather coincides with reports that Conte won his legal battle with former club Chelsea, with the manager having sought compensation for the remainder of his contract after being shown the door in 2018 in favour of Maurizio Sarri.
The head coach was allegedly handed a £9m ($11m) payout by the Stamford Bridge outfit, despite calls from the Blues that Conte had breached his contract in his final season at the club. Chelsea refused to comment on the situation when contacted by Goal.
Conte's appointment will come as good news for Serie A, which has seen Juventus dominate the table for years without any real semblance of competition from other historically successful sides.
Inter will hope to push for the Scudetto next term and have also secured Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish.
