Amid rumours that Manchester United could move for Unai Emery to replace the outgoing Michael Carrick, reports suggest that he is set to remain at Aston Villa.
In Aston Villa's 2-1 victory over Manchester City at the end of October, Unai Emery celebrated his four year anniversary as manager of the club in style.
The Spaniard has overseen unprecedented levels of success throughout his tenure in the West Midlands, establishing himself as one of - if not the - best managers in the Premier League.
Emery took over an Aston Villa team sat 16th in the table, devoid of quality and confidence under the stewardship of Steven Gerrard - with his first match for the club ironically a 3-1 win over Manchester United - but managed to get the Villans performing at a UCL level standards, qualifying for Europe in his first season with the club - their first in over a decade.
Since then, Emery's Villans have finished fourth, sixth (missing out on the UEFA Champions League on goal difference) and fourth again, alongside lifting the UEFA Europa League in 2026 - Villa's first trophy in 30 years.
Having achieved god-like status at Villa Park, it was only a matter of time before one of the 'bigger' clubs came knocking to steal him away and, with Michael Carrick's job hanging by a thread, Manchester United could attempt to do just that.
With Carrick still in a job at the time of writing, speculation is already rife with who could take over from the former Middlesbrough boss.
Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann already appear to be the two front runners, but various pundits and Manchester United creators have named one man as the perfect candidate. Unai Emery.
On Sky Sports - following United's dismal defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon - Jamie Carragher said: "He is a manager I look at when I think about Manchester United."
“I think Emery is the best manager in the Premier League. But I’ve got this thing with him. Yes, his record in the Europa League is amazing, but surely somebody who is that successful wants to be known in the Champions League."
“He wants to win the Champions League. He’s not going to do that at Aston Villa. He’s had two experiences that haven’t gone particularly well for him, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. And I just think surely he would want that opportunity to prove himself at an absolute giant of a football club. Sorry, Villa fans.”
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor disagreed on TalkSport, saying: “Will he go there, though?"
“Jason Wilcox bringing in no-namers, bringing in rotten players who can’t get the ball. No, I think we are in a good place, Aston Villa.”
Agbonlahor's sentiment has been popular amongst Villa fans and - more crucially - the majority of football journalists, with Sky Sports reporting: "Emery, we have been told, remains committed to the project at Aston Villa."
And why would Emery leave Aston Villa right now? The Spaniard has complete control at Aston Villa - reporting directly to the club's ownership - and is central to the rebuild at the club.
Some may not believe that Emery has been backed at Villa Park, particularly when net spend is looked at, but with the financial regulations imposed upon them, Aston Villa have always maximised the money spent within the rules.
V Sports - the holding company of the owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens - also have a stake in Spanish side Real Union, a club which has heavy links to Unai Emery's family, with the Villans loaning some of their young talents to the third division side.
There is no arguing that Manchester United are the biggest club in the country and an attractive prospect for all players and managers, but it's hard to imagine Emery trading control and comfort at Aston Villa for the chaos and disarray at the Red Devils.
Unai Emery's Aston Villa career in numbers
Matches | 209 |
Wins | 116 |
Draws | 36 |
Losses | 57 |
Win Percentage | 56% |
Trophies | 1 |
Premier League Finishes | 7th, 4th, 6th, 4th |
Transfer Spend | €776m |
Transfer Sales | €725.43m |
Net Spend | €50.57m |
Premier League table since Unai Emery was appointed
Position | Teams | Points |
1. | Arsenal | 322 |
2. | Manchester City | 318 |
3. | Liverpool | 289 |
4. | Aston Villa | 259 |
5. | Manchester United | 232 |
6. | Newcastle United | 230 |
7. | Chelsea | 220 |
8. | Brighton & Hove Albion | 219 |
9. | Brentford | 201 |
10. | Fulham | 194 |
