‘Unai Emery has reached his ceiling at Aston Villa – what more can he do?’
Unai Emery may have taken Aston Villa as far as possible, as the boss continues to be linked with a move away from Villa Park.
The Spaniard is one of the most talented managers in the Premier League, with Villa just seven points behind Arsenal in the race for the league title, and level on points with Man City.
Despite his success in the West Midlands, there remains speculation around how much longer he will be in charge. Most recently, Emery has been involved in the Man United manager rumours.
Much of the speculation comes due to the Villans’ struggles and hurdles when it comes to spending money in the transfer market, and also the news surrounding some of their best players.
Despite breaking the club’s record transfer fee multiple times in recent seasons, PSR continues to play a role on the pitch for Villa, and that is the main driving force behind rumours of Emery’s potential exit.
Unai Emery is likely to be respected by multiple giant clubs
Speaking on talkSPORT Daily (23 January), Alex Crook said: “Conor Gallagher has gone to a Tottenham side, who are nearer the relegation places than they are the top four, rather than going to Aston Villa.
“For me, that’s where the spending regulations fall down, and Unai Emery‘s feeling that. And this seems to me like this is a manager who has reached his ceiling at Aston Villa.
“When you look at net spend of Premier League clubs over the last five years, Villa are 16th. The fact that he’s managed to get them into the top four, once being talked about as title contenders, and getting into the Champions League…
“I think he’s done a remarkable job. But what more can he do?”
Which Premier League club is Emery most likely to join next?
Although Emery’s name is included, he is only 33/1 with a major bookmaker to become the next Man United boss ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Oliver Glasner leading the race.
With Arne Slot under major pressure at Liverpool, Anfield is another potential destination, with the Villa boss being given 10/1 odds, though Xabi Alonso is currently the favourite.
The 54-year-old has been at Villa Park since 2022, with the tenure becoming one of his longest stays at a single club, but there is no doubt that he is being left frustrated by transfer constraints.
Tammy Abraham appears set to re-join the Villans following his season-long loan back in 2018-19, but with just £18.2million being spent, it is not exactly a deal that breaks the bank.
Should Villa lose the likes of Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, or Ezri Konsa, the manager’s departure could be accelerated, especially if there are openings elsewhere in the Premier League.