Paris Saint-Germain have decided against replacing manager Laurent Blanc with former Juventus head coach Antonio Conte, according to fresh reports in the French media.
L’Equipe claims the Ligue 1 champions toyed with the idea of making an official offer to the Italian following preliminary talks with his representatives, but will now keep faith with their current boss for the 2014-15 campaign.
When PSG got in touch with Conte’s agent last week it appeared that they were ready to dispense with the services of former Manchester United defender Blanc in an attempt to boost their profile.
Instead, the 44-year-old is now one of the front runners to take charge of Italy, with the national side closing in on Cesare Prandelli’s successor following a torrid World Cup campaign which ended at the group stage.
Conte, who led the Turin heavyweights to three successive Serie A titles, resigned just one day after the start of pre-season training.
He is thought to have held crisis talks with the hierarchy just hours before his exit amid concerns that midfield man Arturo Vidal would be sold to United.
However, he made no reference to a disagreement in his statement to the club’s website, and simply thanked Juve and their fans for the support they provided.