Unai Emery appears to be one of the last contenders remaining in the race to become Newcastle manager.
While the Spaniard may claim he knows nothing about the Magpies, he is being heavily linked with a move back to the Premier League.
Emery left Arsenal in November 2019 after a disappointing spell at the Emirates, but he has rebuilt his reputation back in La Liga.
He guided Villarreal to Europa League glory last season, beating Manchester United in the final. That’s the fourth time he’s won that competition…shame we’re not in it!
Emery would likely be a popular appointment for Toon fans, who are desperate for the club to announce Steve Bruce’s replacement.
And it also looks like he would be popular with members of the consortium, unlike other managerial options.
No split opinion on Unai Emery becoming Newcastle manager
According to the Mirror, the consortium have been divided over candidates such as Paulo Fonseca, Lucien Favre, Roberto Martinez and Eddie Howe.
However, they report that Emery is someone they all agree on and support.
When you look at his credentials, it’s easy to see why. Despite his Arsenal struggles, he has the Premier League experience they want.
He’s a relatively big name, even managing PSG between 2016 and 2018 where he had a win percentage of 76.3.
And he’s not shy of winning trophies either, which will be the ultimate goal for the new Toon owners. He’s won 11 honours during his career as a manager so far.
The only problem with Emery is his current situation. Unlike other options such as Howe and Fonseca, Emery is currently working with Villarreal.
Newcastle would need to convince him to leave and buy him out of his contract, which might not be easy.
But if they can overcome that hurdle, he would be a wonderful appointment for the Magpies.
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