Gabby Agbonlahor explains why Unai Emery could soon walk away from Aston Villa
Aston Villa have been warned that Unai Emery could walk away from Villa Park this summer.
Emery has become increasingly exasperated after a run of just three wins in their last 12 Premier League matches dented Villa’s Champions League qualification dream.
Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Manchester United leaves them in fourth place and just two points ahead of Liverpool, while Chelsea are breathing down their necks in sixth.
Their campaign has been derailed by a string of injuries and questionable recruitment, with their last top-flight victory coming against Brighton on February 11.
According to Gabby Agbonlahor, missing out on a spot in next season’s Champions League could be the final straw for Emery and one of his top players.
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Gabby Agbonlahor predicts Unai Emery will ‘be gone’
Speaking on talkSPORT, Alex Crook discussed the predicament, claiming Emery’s hands are “tied behind his back” and that he could quit because of poor transfer business.
Worryingly for Villa, Agbonlahor quickly chimed in: “He’ll be gone, mate.”
Expanding on his point, the former B6 striker then predicted that Morgan Rogers will be sold and a slump into mid-table obscurity if Villa don’t reach the Champions League.
“I really do think it’s that important,” he added. “If they do get Champions League football and the manager stays, the next four or five years will look so good for Aston Villa.
“That’s how important it is.”
Villa’s hierarchy will know that Emery will have no shortage of options if he decides to leave, with Manchester United previously among his admirers on more than one occasion.
How can Aston Villa convince Emery to stay?
Much, if not all, of the football project at Villa Park is reliant on the Spaniard and his influence. However, that does not mean that he can escape blame for the club’s downturn.
Micah Richards was wrong to defend Emery after the defeat at Old Trafford, with his persistence with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Emi Buendia not exactly helping his cause.
But there is no denying that he has been saddled with poor transfers, and once again, he has Villa performing above all expectations this season, despite the poor recent run.
Villa must, therefore, seal a Champions League spot no matter the cost and then lay out their ambitions for the summer window, placing Emery’s demands right at the centre.
Anything less, and they risk letting him slip through their fingers.
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