Unai Emery close to signing new Aston Villa contract to ward off Man Utd interest

Unai Emery is on the verge of signing a new long-term contract at Aston Villa, dealing a significant blow to Manchester United. The Spanish head coach has been heavily linked with the Old Trafford dugout as pressure mounts on Michael Carrick, but he now looks ready to commit his future to Villa Park.

Emery is extremely close to signing a new contract with Villa, as per Telegraph. The move is designed to definitively kill off mounting interest from United. Emery has been widely discussed as a top candidate to replace Carrick in the Old Trafford dugout.

However, the Spaniard is instead providing Villa with a massive boost. He intends to sign a long-term extension that reaches well beyond his current deal, which expires in 2029. Securing Emery's services represents a major victory for Villa's hierarchy. Prising the former Arsenal manager away would have cost United nearly £20 million in release fees.

Emery held advanced talks with Aston Villa chairman Nassef Sawiris on Wednesday following the club’s Champions League clash at Barcelona. The meeting also included president of football operations Roberto Olabe and director of football operations Damián Vidagany.

An official club statement confirmed the positive nature of the discussions. "Aston Villa held an important working meeting today to plan the club’s future and lay the foundations for its long-term sporting and institutional project," it read.

"The discussions focused on jointly planning the club’s long-term strategic direction, with positive discussions establishing a clear commitment beyond 2029 for the joint development of the club."

Emery has completely revitalised Villa since his arrival in October 2022. During his remarkable tenure, he has lifted the Europa League trophy and steered the club into the Champions League on two separate occasions.

This success has been underpinned by a strategic overhaul of the playing squad. Despite selling six starters from their Europa League final triumph over Freiburg, Villa and Olabe efficiently rebuilt the team with ten new signings, including club-record addition Nicolas Jackson.

The club's hierarchy aims to maintain this upward trajectory. They stated: "The objective is clear: to build an ambitious, competitive Aston Villa capable of taking on the biggest challenges and achievements." Both Vidagany and Olabe are also in talks over extending their respective contracts to continue the project.

While Emery commits his future to Villa, the managerial situation at United remains highly unstable. Carrick recently ended a dismal nine-match winless run with a 3-2 victory against Roma, but his fate hangs in the balance. The two clubs meet this weekend. The Villans host the Red Devils in the Premier League on Sunday.