Antonio Conte Seeking £9m Post-Tax Annual Salary as Former Chelsea Boss Eyes Taking Over at Inter

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is keen to take over the managerial reins at Inter, providing the Nerazzurri make him the highest paid manager in Serie A.

Conte has been out of management since being sacked by Chelsea last summer, but has been linked with a managerial return at a number of high profile clubs over recent - including at Real Madrid, before Zinedine Zidane's re-appointment.

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It appears that Inter are his most likely destination, however, with Luciano Spalletti's job reportedly under threat.

Inter currently sit third in Serie A and look like securing Champions League football for next season. However, they find themselves 27 points behind leaders Juventus - a gap which is too big it seems for the club's hierarchy.

The Daily Mail report that club president Steven Zhang has instructed general manager Giuseppe Marotta to acquire Conte's services at all costs, but that is where the potential stumbling block comes in.

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Conte is said to be demanding a £9m after-tax salary which would see him overtake Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri as Serie A's highest paid manager. This would see the former Italy manager's salary exceed Allegri's pay packet by a whopping £2.5m a year.

Furthermore, current manager Spalletti's contract at San Siro runs until the summer of 2021, and it's estimated that Inter may have to pay in the region of £21.5m to relieve him of his duties. 

Despite that ridiculous sum, his position at the club is reportedly insecure because of Inter's inability to break into the top two - coupled with his side's failure to progress past the Champions League group stages

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Inter will be aware that a manager of Conte's calibre does not usually stay jobless for long, so they may need to act quickly in order to persuade the Italian to join.