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Aston Villa are working to block ‘all possibilities’ of losing Unai Emery to Manchester United, with the Red Devils’ interest in the Spanish manager ‘much more concrete’ than previously thought, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Emery is considered the ‘ideal’ candidate to replace the under-fire Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, but the Birmingham club are working to secure his long-term future and shut the door on their Premier League rivals.
Carrick might have secured his place in the Man Utd dugout in the short term with the stirring comeback win over Roma in the Champions League, but the Red Devils’ manager remains a man under pressure as United sit just above the relegation zone.
Emery has been pinpointed as the ideal replacement, although there is an acknowledgement that he will be difficult to take from Villa. And the Birmingham club want to make sure that he becomes impossible for their Premier League rivals to steal, with Romano confirming there are contract discussions with the former Arsenal and PSG boss.
“He is now in very advanced talks with Aston Villa to get a new contract done. It could happen at any moment, any day, because the key day for secret meetings and direct contacts was Wednesday,” Romano told his YouTube channel.
“On Wednesday, after the Barcelona game, following a defeat, it was obviously not the best night for Aston Villa. They have had fantastic Champions League nights, fantastic Premier League nights and fantastic European nights in general during the Unai Emery era. The game against Barcelona was not the best one, but Aston Villa wanted to show their trust in Unai Emery and their love for him.
“And Aston Villa, this is a very important point, wanted to stop all the possibilities for Manchester United.
“On Wednesday, after the Barcelona game, Aston Villa met with Unai Emery. When I say Aston Villa, I mean the chairman and the directors involved, Damian Vidagany and Roberto Olabe, who met with Emery to progress negotiations over a new contract.
“The offer is an important one, longer than his current deal and with a better salary. He would retain the same power and involvement in transfer decisions, including departures, arrivals, targets and ideas. Everything would continue to be shared.
“The model at Aston Villa works very well because Unai is involved, the chairman is involved, and Roberto Olabe and Damian Vidagany do an excellent job. They are all working together.”
Man Utd’s Emery interest ‘much more concrete’ than it appeared
Romano revealed that Villa’s urgency to tie Emery down to a new deal has been driven by the situation at Man Utd.
He continued: “But why this timing? Why now and not two or three weeks ago, or perhaps in another two or three weeks?
“There is one reason: Manchester United were keeping a very close eye on the situation of Unai Emery.
“I have been telling you several times on this channel that Unai Emery is considered one of the ideal coaches, probably the ideal coach, by some very important and influential people at Manchester United.
“That was not something I was just saying. Manchester United genuinely considered, and still consider, Unai Emery as probably the ideal man to lead their project in the future.
“But I always told you that Unai Emery was not available because Aston Villa trust him, want to keep him and have no intention of losing him. That applies especially in the middle of the season, but Villa also want to continue with Unai at the end of the campaign.
“So, if Villa are doing this now, it is because the Manchester United interest was much more concrete than it might have appeared in the media. United genuinely considered Unai Emery as an option.
“But Aston Villa’s wall around Unai Emery has been very, very high from the first minute. Now they are offering him a new contract to stop all the possibilities of other clubs approaching him and to continue with Unai as a crucial part of their project.
“Villa know that Unai Emery is very happy at the club. They know that he is in love with Aston Villa and with the level of involvement he has there, which is something very difficult to find at other clubs.
“There can be other top clubs around the world, in England and elsewhere, but finding this kind of structure, where the manager is involved in absolutely everything, is not easy at all.
“So, the new contract is now at a very advanced stage and Aston Villa want to close everything as soon as possible. I am recording this video late at night, early in the morning, so the moment could come at any time.
“That is an important piece of news because it obviously blocks, eventually, all the possibilities of Manchester United going for Unai Emery.”
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