Unai Emery close to longer-term Aston Villa contract

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is close to agreeing a longer-term contract that would give him a greater role in the club’s development, with talks continuing over the deal’s length and financial details.

Emery met Villa’s leadership on Wednesday to discuss the club’s future. Villa said the meeting included chairman Nassef Sawiris and executives Roberto Olabe and Damian Vidagany, and focused on long-term strategy. The club described the discussions as positive and said they showed a commitment to developing Villa under Emery beyond 2029.

The new agreement has not yet been finalised. The plan is to announce it once the details are settled, which is unlikely to happen before the weekend, according to BBC Sport.

Emery’s existing contract runs until 2029. He joined Villa in 2022 and has led the team to European football in every season since. The club won the Europa League in May, its first major trophy in 30 years.

The talks come as Emery has been linked with Manchester United, whom Villa are due to play at Old Trafford this weekend. Villa are 10th in the Premier League after a summer in which several key players left, while they have won three of their opening four Champions League matches.