Unai Emery told to reject Man United offer - ex-Aston Villa employee
Unai Emery should not consider taking the job to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United if the offer does arrive.
That is the opinion of former senior Aston Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 54-year-old is under contract at Villa Park until 2029, and has shown no willing to leave the club in the coming months.
The Man United job would be one Emery would need to consider, however, with it undoubtedly coming with both a wage increase and a bigger budget in the transfer window.
The Red Devils have started the season terribly, winning just one of their opening five Premier League games since Carrick was appointed permanently.
The 45-year-old will be given time to turn the tide, but risks becoming the latest manager to suffer from the poison chalice the Man United job has become.
Man United are 'enormously in debt'
There had been some suspicion that Emery was growing frustrated at Villa in the summer transfer window.
The Villans sold six of the starting XI that won the Europa League in May, and their replacements are, in most cases, inexperienced.
The Man United job would certainly carry a lot more freedom in the transfer market, but Emery would be facing other difficulties.
"If I was him, I wouldn't take Man United at this moment in time because I don't think Man United are a very good team," King told Football Insider.
"Not if he's got any sense, because there's a team there that needs rebuilding. Did you see their figures at the end of the financial year?
"They're enormously in debt. The debt grows. The only way they save money is because [Sir Jim] Ratcliffe sacked a third of the staff. That has not made Manchester United a better club, but the way he's done it, it might have saved a lot of money."
King added: "Would you have said that Emery was going to do what he's done at Villa after he'd been at Arsenal? Half the people in football forget that Emery's been at Arsenal."
Emery's time at Arsenal
Emery has transformed Villa and made himself an attractive appointment for any club.
Yet Man United would also have to consider his time at Arsenal, which was certainly not so successful.
The Spaniard replaced Arsene Wenger and initially looked to be making his mark, but ultimately failed inspire the fanbase or handle the personalities in the dressing room and was sacked after just 18 months.
There are similarities between the situation Arsenal were in and the one Man United are in now, and Emery himself would need to consider how such a decision could affect his own career.