Aston Villa face Unai Emery problem as Napoli consider Antonio Conte successor
Aston Villa may have a job on their hands to keep Unai Emery amid talk of Napoli turning their attention to the Spaniard.
That is according to NapoliMagazine, who state that president Aurelio De Laurentiis is considering life after Antonio Conte at the Serie A outfit.
Emery took over from Steven Gerrard at Villa in late 2022, when they were hovering above the relegation zone, and turned them into a top-six team.
After underwhelming spells at Arsenal and, arguably, Paris Saint-Germain, Emery has once again found his groove with the Villans.
Amid his stellar work in England again, Villa boss Emery is reportedly attracting interest from rival teams, starting with Napoli.
📋 NEXT VILLA MANAGER 📋
Tracking the shortlisted candidates, latest odds, boardroom movements, and managerial updates for Villa Park.
Napoli admire Unai Emery and Jurgen Klopp
As per NapoliMagazine, a meeting is scheduled to happen between Conte and De Laurentiis, days after he made some rather outlandish comments.
The president said the former Chelsea manager would be “killing his baby” if he leaves Napoli to take the reins of the Italy national team.
Now, reports suggest Emery is on Napoli’s radar.
| Unai Emery record at Aston Villa | |
| Results: | 103 wins, 33 draws, 50 losses |
| Win percentage: | 55.4 per cent |
De Laurentiis is also said to have a long-standing “love” with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, but the German seems content for now with his Head of Global Soccer role with Red Bull.
However, it is said that Conte is most likely to continue his “marriage” with Napoli, while the likes of Enzo Maresca, Gian Piero Gasperini, and Thiago Motta are not under consideration.
It is only natural that teams are interested in Emery after a stellar body of work both at Villa and across his career.
It remains to be seen if Emery will see out his 2029 contract, but for the time being, it seems like he will be staying put.
Aston Villa have to keep Emery at all costs
In just over six months in his first season at Villa, the Midlands club rose from just outside the relegation zone to qualifying for the Conference League.
Emery masterminded a remarkable turnaround, and despite having a smaller budget than some of their rivals, Villa are now a side competing for regular Champions League qualification.
The former Sevilla boss is afforded more control at Villa than many other coaches are given at their respective clubs, but so far, that has worked out very well.
It seems that Emery is the most important cog in the Villa machine, and if he goes, their deck of cards could tumble.
Emery was linked with Real Madrid earlier this year, but whether that comes to anything this summer is up in the air.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Your Villa News Insider Access
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of B6.