Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane thinks he knows why Aston Villa manager Unai Emery would not take up the vacant Manchester United head coach role at Old Trafford.
Michael Carrick is currently seeing out the remainder of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign as interim head coach after returning to Old Trafford in January.
The 44-year-old United legend was installed as interim manager after Man Utd made the decision to sack Ruben Amorim after only 14 months in charge at the club.
United are tipped to appoint Ruben Amorim’s long-term successor in the summer and Unai Emery has been linked with the Premier League club in the past.
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Unai Emery looks on during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Villa Park in 2026 in Birmingham, England.
Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images
Are Roy Keane’s concerns valid? Or is he just adding needless negativity to the Michael Carrick debate?
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Gary Neville is surprised by Roy Keane’s stance on Aston Villa boss Unai Emery likely rejecting Man Utd
Unai Emery has been at Aston Villa since 2022 after he left Villarreal and the 54-year-old Spaniard has been widely hailed for his stunning work at Villa Park.
The Villa head coach has plenty of high-profile managerial experience under his belt, including managing at the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Valencia.
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Speaking on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast, Gary Neville asked: “Would Unai Emery be a candidate for Manchester United in the summer?”
Roy Keane responded to his former Man Utd teammate by insisting that Emery would not move to Old Trafford due to how the Premier League club are operated.
“No, because of what we just said, the structure,” he said.
Responding to the legendary former United captain, Neville asked: “You don’t think he’ll go there, no?”
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What’s your biggest worry for Michael Carrick right now?
Team selections? Recent results? Something else you just don't feel right about? Let everyone know!
Michael Carrick looks on prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James’ Park in 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Roy Keane tells Gary Neville why Unai Emery would not work with Man Utd’s structure at Old Trafford
Keane explained that Emery could be compared with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for how the Villa boss likes to approach his management at the club.
“I think he’s, you talk about managers, the top managers, Pep, the top managers manage upwards as well,” he said.
“They call the shots with the people above them. He’s got that at Villa.”
Keane added that the freedom that Emery has at Villa is what has allowed him to flourish compared with his time at Arsenal, which ended in the Spaniard’s sacking.
“He didn’t have it at Arsenal back in the day,” he continued.
“And I know sometimes you can’t just automatically go to a job because you’ve got control everywhere.
“But I think what he’s doing at Villa and the people above him suits him down to the ground.
“That’s his strength, managing upwards. I don’t think he would be desperate enough to sacrifice that to go to United.”
Michael Carrick has also been linked with the vacant head coach role at Man Utd after the stunning impact that he has made in his interim reign at Old Trafford.
Other names that have been linked with the Red Devils in recent months are Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti.
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