Unai Emery is close to agreeing a new Aston Villa contract that will keep him at Villa Park beyond 2029 and hand him an even bigger role in the club's long-term development, ending speculation linking him with Manchester United days before the two clubs meet at Old Trafford.
According to BBC Sport, talks are continuing over the fine details, the finances and the length of the new deal, with Villa planning to announce the agreement once everything is settled - although an announcement is unlikely before the weekend. Emery, 55, is already under contract until 2029, having signed a five-year deal in May 2024.
A clear commitment beyond 2029
The news follows Villa's own statement on Wednesday night, confirming an important working meeting between Emery, chairman Nassef Sawiris, president of football operations Roberto Olabe and director of football operations Damian Vidagany. The club said the discussions established a clear commitment beyond 2029 for the joint development of the club under the sporting leadership of Unai Emery, with the objective of building an ambitious, competitive Aston Villa capable of taking on the biggest challenges and achievements.
Reports from The Telegraph described the talks as advanced, while The Athletic reported that Olabe and Vidagany, the two closest lieutenants to Emery, are also in talks over new deals of their own - a sign Villa are locking down the whole sporting structure, not just the man in the dugout.
So what does this mean for Villa and United?
For United, the timing is brutal. Emery had been reported as a dream appointment should the board decide to part company with Michael Carrick, and Villa arrive at Old Trafford on Sunday with United still in the lower reaches of the Premier League despite Tuesday's dramatic comeback win over Roma in the Champions League. A defeat this weekend, against the very manager they were said to covet, would sharpen every question about Carrick's position - and now the most obvious answer to those questions is about to be taken off the market.
Former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor told talkSPORT he could not wait for the new deal to shut up those urging Emery to move, as Football365 reported, claiming the Spaniard will earn 16 to 17 million pounds a year on his new contract and asking why he would leave a club that loves him for what he called a toxic Manchester United. The figures are Agbonlahor's claim rather than a confirmed contract term, but the direction of travel is not in doubt.
For Villa, this is the reward for four transformative years. Emery arrived in October 2022 with the club in a relegation fight; he has taken them into Europe in every season since and won the Europa League in May, the club's first major trophy in 30 years. His return to Camp Nou with Villa this week underlined how far the project has come - and Villa are now paying to make sure the next chapter is written in Birmingham, not Manchester.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is what a well-run club looks like. Villa identified the most important person in their building, gave him more power rather than less, and moved before a richer rival could turn his head. United, by contrast, may spend Sunday watching the manager they wanted from the opposite dugout - a neat summary of where both clubs are heading.
Will Emery's new deal make Villa a permanent fixture at the top of English football? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
