Aston Villa is set to open contract extension talks with manager Unai Emery..

The Athletic's resident renowned Aston Villa team correspondent Jacob Tanswell, exclusivley reported on Friday that the club is set to open contract extension talks with their Spanish manager, Unai Emery.

According to Tanswell, although Emery’s current contract runs until the summer of 2029, the Villa hierarchy has signaled a desire to maintain the existing setup for the long term, viewing this as a key step toward ensuring the club’s sustained stability and development.

To demonstrate their commitment and sincerity, the Aston Villa board is prepared to offer significant improvements to the wage, performance-based bonuses, and personal terms for both Emery and his coaching staff. Furthermore, they are willing to grant Emery, who already wields substantial influence over the club’s management and decision-making, even greater authority, potentially approaching near-total control.

Tanswell added that while such negotiations are rarely concluded overnight, making it difficult to predict exactly when an agreement might be reached, the club has been planning this move for some time. Consequently, it is believed that the discussions are likely well beyond the preliminary stage, potentially reaching an advanced or even final phase.

Should Emery agree to an extension, it would effectively quash any speculation linking him to a potential move to Manchester United as their new manager.

Amid the Red Devils' poor run of form, which has fueled mounting rumours regarding the potential sacking of manager Michael Carrick, there has been persistent, albeit unfounded, chatter suggesting that Emery might be headed for the Old Trafford dugout, even as all signs point to him remaining fully committed to his work at Villa. 

Unai Emery, 55, often hailed as a "specialist" in winning the UEFA Europa League, took charge of Aston Villa in October 2022, succeeding former Liverpool captain and legend Steven Gerrard. He is currently the second longest-serving manager in the Premier League.

Since arriving at Villa Park, Emery has managed the Premier League powerhouse in 212 matches across all competitions, recording 116 wins, 37 draws, and 59 losses, with a win percentage of 54.7%. He has also led a team to a UEFA Europa League title.

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