Unai Emery signs Aston Villa contract extension in blow to Bayern Munich and Premier League giants
UNAI EMERY has committed his long term future to Aston Villa by signing a new one-year extension to his contract.
The news will come as a blow to Bayern Munich who had identified the 52-year-old Spaniard as their preferred candidate to replace Thomas Tuchel this summer.
It will also rule out Manchester United and Liverpool targeting the former PSG, Arsenal, Sevilla and Valencia boss.
Villa moved swiftly to extend Emery’s current deal, which already had three years to run, after a sensational season.
He has led Villa to fourth place in the Premier League and to their first European semi-final in 42 years.
The club’s billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are so delighted with the transformation Emery has brought about at Villa they intend to sit down with Emery this summer to prolong the deal even further.
They believe they currently have one of the best bosses in Europe, who is on a par with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp and who could become their version of Sir Alex Ferguson.
They have backed Emery since he arrived from Villarreal on a four-and-a-half year deal in October 2022.
That was when Villa were languishing in 17th place in the Premier League.
Emery has had a major say in every significant club appointment since from Head of Recruitment Monchi, down to his large staff of coaches and video analysts.
It is that autonomy which has allowed Emery to control almost every aspect of life at Villa, which the likes of Bayern could never grant him.
Emery is understood to love the project he has taken on at Villa and the power he has due to the trust the owners have placed in him.
News of Emery’s contract extension until 2028 will be greeted with joy by Villa’s players such as Ollie Watkins and skipper John McGinn, who have seen their own performances soar under the gifted Spanish coach.
Villa fans will also rejoice at the news Emery has turned his back on some of the giants of the European game to commit his future to their club, in what will come as a huge boost for the remainder of their season.