Exclusive: Monchi closes in on new role days after leaving Aston Villa
Benfica have set their sights on appointing Monchi following his Aston Villa exit, sources have told Football Insider.
The Portuguese giants, newly led by Jose Mourinho, are lining up a move for the Spanish recruitment chief after he left Villa earlier this week on the back of a poor summer transfer window for the club.
Monchi was targeted by Mourinho’s former club Fenerbahce in the summer and came close to joining them.
The former Chelsea, Man United, and Tottenham boss was sacked by the Turkish outfit early in the season and has now made his return to football in his homeland.
Mourinho and Monchi are both represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, whose Gestifute agency are laying the groundwork for a potential deal.
Aston Villa replace Monchi immediately
Following Monchi’s exit, Aston Villa wasted no time securing Roberto Olabe, the former Real Sociedad transfer chief, as his replacement.
Olabe has a very good reputation in Spain, and was responsible for bringing new Liverpool signing Alexander Isak to Sociedad, as well as the likes of Martin Odegaard and David Silva.
Monchi had a chaotic tenure at Villa Park, often hampered by profit and sustainability rules (PSR), as well as making several unsuccessful signings.
However, the Spaniard ultimately helped the Midlands giants to a Champions League quarter-final in a challenging period financially for the club
Unai Emery to remain at Aston Villa
There were suggestions that Monchi’s Aston Villa departure was a hint that Emery could also be leaving, as the pair had a very good working relationship.
However, the Villa boss also has previous history with Olabe, as the pair made their Real Sociedad debut in the same match back in their playing days.
In fact, when Olabe was working in a directorial capacity at Spanish side Almeria in 2006, he actually hired Emery as manager.
On Monday (22 September), Football Insider exclusively revealed that Aston Villa fully support Emery and have no plans to sack him.
In addition, the former Arsenal boss is still motivated to continue his work in the Midlands with Olabe by his side, meaning that the club’s new chapter will include their well-respected manager.
For more Aston Villa and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.