- Manchester United monitoring Aston Villa’s Unai Emery
- Emery’s availability being promoted to ‘top’ clubs
- Villa boss has previously been endorsed by Sir Alex Ferguson
The shortlist of candidates for the Manchester United head coach role this summer has recently been shoehorned into a two-horse race.
According to reports, Julian Nagelsmann and interim boss Michael Carrick are expected to battle for the permanent role this summer. However, a new name has emerged that is already familiar to Red Devils fans.
Aston Villa’s manager has now emerged as a new contender for the managerial hotseat.
Manchester United Monitor Unai Emery
According to TEAMtalk, Unai Emery has “emerged on the radar” of INEOS as the permanent successor of Ruben Amorim. The Spaniard is also attracting heavyweight interest, with Real Madrid monitoring his situation as their permanent solution for Xabi Alonso.
The report points towards Emery’s ability to to “organise teams tactically and maximise player performance” as being the reason why the INEOS hierarchy are monitoring him for the head coach role.
Emery’s impact at Villa Park has turned the club into a consistent top-five force in England. The team’s dramatic 4-3 win against Sunderland on Sunday solidified their grip on fourth place and moved them closer to securing Champions League qualification.
If Villa dropped points on Sunday, it would have secured United’s spot in Europe’s elite competition. However, the Red now need six points in their final five fixtures to mathematically confirm their place.
Villa remain confident of retaining Emery, who is currently chasing his fourth European trophy. The Villans will soon be preparing for a Europa League semi-final clash against Nottingham Forest.
Emery Should Not Make the Shortlist
| Emery’s managerial record (2025/26) | |||
| Competition | Win | Loss | Draw |
| Premier League | 17 | 9 | 7 |
| Europa League | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| EFL Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 |
One of the issues is that Emery would need to transition from manager to head coach if he joined Old Trafford. It is a transition layered in restricted say over transfers, whcih Emery may not be willing to concede.
Manchester United legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson is a big fan of Emery, having praised him publicly in the past. However, his opinion should be disregarded in the context of picking the next manager. The 84 year-old had his say in appointing David Moyes as his successor. INEOS have reduced his boardroom influence, having controversially stripped Ferguson from his ambassadorial role last season.
Emery’s success has always followed a similar pattern. He is a manager who succeeds in a ‘big-fish, small-pond’ situation. His incredible success at a continental level with Sevilla saw him win three Europa Leagues with the Andalucian side. He was rewarded with his first big job at Paris Saint Germain, where he won a Ligue 1 title. However, the big failure that alluded him, as well as many other managers before Luis Enrique, was failing to win the Champions League.
The Spaniard was later appointed as Arsene Wenger’s replacement at Arsenal in 2018. He lasted just 18 months in charge, having endured the club’s worst run without a victory since 1992 prior to his sacking.
The pressure at United is a different gravy. Villa ‘overachieved’ by qualifying for the Champions League two seasons ago. At United, success needs to become mandatory again. Moving for Emery does risk settling for a manager who has so far had two auditions at big clubs, but ultimately failed to impress.
