Last Updated: April 20 2026 | 13:00 GMT
Unai Emery has worked wonders during his time at Villa Park, but there is an underlying fear that he is not entirely pleased to be operating with one arm tied behind his back. The Spaniard’s transformative impact since 2022 has been achieved amid a backdrop of the West Midlands outfit having to balance a delicate financial line, forcing the sales of some key players.
While the board – led by Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens – remains desperate to keep Emery, the club is currently navigating a treacherous landscape of UEFA Squad Cost Rules (SCR) and Premier League Profit and Sustainability (PSR) regulations.
For now, the aim is to win some rare silverware in the Europa League – a competition Emery is a master of – and finish in the top four of the Premier League. If that happens, money will come in, and any fears of a summer exit will surely be cooled, with the Villans two games from that Istanbul final now.
With a semi-final against Nottingham Forest booked and only two wins from five needed to secure Champions League football, Emery is laughing right now.
That is not to say certain names will not continue to be linked with the job, however.
Aston Villa’s past 10 permanent managers
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