Manchester United reportedly view Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery as a potential replacement for Ruben Amorim, should the club decide to make another change in the dug-out at the end of the campaign.
Emery's first experience of English football came at Arsenal in 2018, but he only lasted until the end of 2019, finishing with a record of 43 wins, 16 draws and 19 defeats from 78 matches in charge of the Gunners.
The Spaniard rebuilt his reputation at Villarreal, with a successful spell seeing him lead the Yellow Submarine to the Europa League title, while he also won the competition on three occasions with Sevilla.
Emery has taken charge of over 1,000 matches during his management career, including notable spells with Valencia, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain, while he has been in charge of Villa since November 2022.
The 53-year-old boasts a record of 64 wins, 25 draws and 35 losses in 124 matches for Villa, giving him a win rate of 51.6%, which is lower than the 55% that he had at Arsenal, albeit over more games.
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Man United 'identify Emery as potential Amorim replacement'
Villa had an excellent 2023-24 campaign, finishing fourth in the Premier League table to secure Champions League football for this season, and they are in the last-16 stage of the competition, preparing to tackle Club Brugge.
The Lions are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, while they are 10th in the Premier League table, just five points behind fourth-placed Manchester City in the race for the top four.
According to Fichajes, Man United view Emery as a leading candidate to replace Amorim, should the Red Devils make a change.
Amorim only arrived at Old Trafford in October 2024, but the Portuguese has found it difficult during his time at Old Trafford, and there has been criticism of his 3-4-3 formation.
The 40-year-old has a record of 10 wins, four draws and nine defeats from his 23 matches in charge of Man United, who sit down in 14th position in the Premier League table.
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Amorim's future at Man United is being called into question
Man United are in the fifth round of the FA Cup, preparing to take on Fulham on Sunday afternoon, while they will tackle Real Sociedad in the last-16 stage of the Europa League, with the first leg taking place next week.
However, there is currently speculation surrounding Amorim's future, with the Red Devils believed to be considering making a change if the team continue to struggle to pick up positive results.
Man United would allegedly have to pay £12m to sack Amorim, with the Portuguese having a contract with the Red Devils until June 2027.
Amorim is unproven in the Premier League, but the same cannot be said for Emery, who is regarded as one of the best coaches in European football despite his previous struggles at Arsenal.
The FA Cup and Europa League have become vital for Man United this season due to the club's league struggles, and it would be a huge blow for Amorim if the team were unable to advance to the quarter-finals of both competitions.
Matt Law
