Guillem Balague shares Unai Emery to Man United latest as ‘noise’ clarified from Spain
Unai Emery is one of the most sought-after managers in world football, and Aston Villa fans will hope he continues his work in B6 for years to come.
The Villans have enjoyed unparalleled success since Emery took the Aston Villa job following the sacking of Steven Gerrard in October 2022.
From finishing in the division’s top four to competing in the Champions League, the Spanish tactician has done the unthinkable at Villa Park after decades of operating below their means.
Villa are even competing for the Premier League title in 2025/26, with noise surrounding a potential exit growing louder.
Guillem Balague shares the chance of Unai Emery joining Man United
It’s hardly surprising that the Aston Villa boss has been linked to numerous European powerhouses during his time at the club, and with Manchester United sacking Ruben Amorim, Emery’s name has been mooted as a possibility.
Emery was linked to the Man United job back in September when Amorim was under pressure, and as of January 5, he was priced at 25/1 to take over at Old Trafford.
The likelihood of him leaving the project at Villa is incredibly slim, and Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has addressed the ‘noise’ surrounding his future on X.
There’s a lot of noise about Unai Emery and Manchester United, so let me clarify a few things..
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) January 7, 2026
I explain in this video and why the project at Aston Villa matters so much to Emery right now.
If you want deeper insight into what he’s building at #AVFC, it’s all in… pic.twitter.com/IQBAjqFNM1
“I’m sure he will be pleased that Manchester United, whoever needs a manager right now, will consider him,” Balague said.
“But I’m pretty sure he’s focused on the job at hand. Big game tonight against Crystal Palace, and after that it’s just continuing to get to the target of his job.”
Aston Villa travel to Crystal Palace tonight looking to end a run of seven losses in a row at Selhurst Park to keep their Premier League title ambitions intact.
- Read More: Unai Emery set to end dreadful Aston Villa record vs Crystal Palace as concerning stats emerge
What is Emery’s ‘dream’ at Aston Villa
When Emery returned to England in 2022, he joined a side who were fighting relegation, before transforming their fortunes and achieving a seventh place finish in 2022/23.
Since then, Villa have regularly competed for a place in Europe, and this season, they’re fighting for the league title.
But despite all of his incredible success as a manager, he still hasn’t fulfilled his ‘dream’, and that is to win a trophy with the Villans.
Speaking in November 2022, Emery said via Sky Sports: “My dream is to win a trophy with Aston Villa. It’s my personal challenge at the beginning. My second objective could be to play with Aston Villa in Europe. Now we have to start thinking only about the next match because we are not in a good position in the table.”
Villa haven’t won a trophy for almost 30 years since their 1996 League Cup victory, and ending that 30-year drought would be the icing on the cake.
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