Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been linked with a shock move to Real Madrid.placeholder image
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been linked with a shock move to Real Madrid. | Getty Images
What transfer news guru Fabrizio Romano has said about Unai Emery leaving Aston Villa for Real Madrid.
Unai Emery is reportedly being eyed by Real Madrid as a potential successor for head coach Alvaro Arbeloa.
Since taking over as Xabi Alonso’s shock successor, Arbelola has struggled to hit the ground running. The former Spain defender had the worst possible start as Real were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier strugglers Albacete. There were some excellent wins to follow, including a 6-1 thrashing of AS Monaco, but last night’s surprise 4-2 defeat away at Benfica cost Real a spot in the Champions League top eight.
Madrid, 15-time winners of Europe’s elite competition, should never have to feature in the play-off stage of the competition, but Jose Mourinho’s Benfica got the better of Arbeloa, who is already under some pressure. At a club of Real’s stature, the expectations couldn’t be higher and there’s no surprise to already see speculation of a potential change in manager.
Real Madrid target Unai Emery
One candidate for the Bernabeu gig is Emery, if speculation today is to be believed. It began with local publications in Spain naming Emery as a target, and this has since been corroborated by widespread reports elsewhere, including many reputable ones.
There’s no surprise to see Emery linked with the elite, as the Spaniard is among the very best managers on the planet. The 54-year-old took over Villa as relegation candidates in October 2022. Three and a half years later, the Villans have succeeded in the Europa Conference League, the Champions League and now the Europa League, with a top-five Premier League finish looking likely for this season.
It may not have worked out for Emery at Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal, but he has done an outstanding job at Villa Park. What makes it all the more impressive is the limited resources he has had to deal with, as well as forced player sales due to PSR and SCR.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Unai Emery to Real Madrid?
So then, what has Fabrizio Romano got to say on the matter? Is Emery really ‘in talks’ with Madrid mid-season? Well, the Italian journalist has confirmed Emery has been ‘discussed internally’ by Real but has rubbished speculation that contact has already been made with the Villa boss.
If Real were to hire Emery, it would be at the end of the season and not now. He’s not the only one in contention, either, with former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp among the top candidates according to Romano.
As it stands, it’s very much business as usual for Emery as he seeks to secure Villa a spot in next season’s Champions League, while there’s hope the Villans can progress deep in the Europa League. The Spaniard couldn’t be more committed to Villa and it would have to take quite something for him to leave.
That said, it’s Real Madrid. It would be difficult for any manager to turn down a job of that size, especially for a Spaniard. Until an actual approach is made, it should be ignored, as difficult as it may be for Villa fans to do so.
Continue Reading