Unai Emery to want Atletico Madrid job as Aston Villa speculation emerges
Bryan King believes Aston Villa manager Unai Emery would be interested in joining Atletico Madrid.
The ex-Villa scout doesn’t, however, believe that the 53-year-old would be keen to make the move at this current moment in time.
Emery took over at Villa Park in October 2022 and has since transformed the club, leading the Birmingham-based outfit to UEFA Champions League qualification last season.
This has caught the attention of Atletico Madrid, with the Spanish side interested in replacing Diego Simeone with Emery at some point down the line [via Relevo, 18 November].
And King – speaking exclusively to Villa News – feels as though Emery’s priority is to win silverware in the West Midlands.
“I think Emery would have been more interested if it was Real Madrid,” King said.
“However, as a manager, it is always nice to be mentioned. Emery has worked with top clubs in England and Spain. I think at the moment he wants to win something at Villa, that is his priority.
“Atletico Madrid are a big club, and I’d imagine a job like that would interest Emery. However, not at this moment in time. He is creating a successful football team at Villa, and I think he wants to see the fruits of that labour.”
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery to snub interest from Atletico Madrid?
Emery is clearly committed to Villa, something which was made apparent by a “huge” update during the November international break [via The Athletic, 20 November].
In addition, Emery only recently signed a new contract at Villa Park. Therefore, supporters can rest assured that Emery won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
However, should big clubs continue to swirl, it is only natural that this might pique Emery’s interest, who has previously been tipped to quit Villa Park for FC Barcelona.
As a result, Villa will need to remain alert, and if they want to keep hold of their manager they must ensure they keep him happy.
In other Aston Villa news, Marc Albrighton has made an “unbelievable” admission about the club.
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