Villarreal manager Unai Emery has admitted that he ‘appreciated’ Newcastle United’s attempts to sign him last year.
The former Arsenal boss came close to replacing Steve Bruce at St James’ Park. At one point, it looked like he was certain to be the next manager of Newcastle United.
In October, reports emerged that Emery was the outright favourite for the job and was expected to return to the Premier League. The Athletic claimed it was a two-horse race between Emery and Eddie Howe, with the former the overriding favourite.
Then a crazy 24 hours transpired that saw Emery decide to stay with Villarreal, leading Newcastle to turn to Howe.
The saga didn’t reflect well on Newcastle’s new owners. It was a harsh lesson early into their Toon tenure.
A few months have passed now, and the 50-year-old has commented on his talks with Newcastle.
Unai Emery ‘thought a lot’ about Newcastle move
The Newcastle project is an attractive project, something to build, different to Arsenal,” Emery told the Athletic.
“With Arsenal, you first had to knock down the walls, which is hard work, then start to build again. Newcastle no, it was just about building, from the ground up. So it is different, and I liked the idea.
“The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches. So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it.
“The opportunity of a club like Newcastle, what it could turn out to be, it is normal for me to listen to the offer, to consider it.
“I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season. In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here. I am happy here and we are doing an important job.”
Lessons learned for Newcastle owners
At the time, the Emery rejection was hugely embarrassing for Newcastle and their new owners. Following the departure of Bruce, this was the first major decision of their tenure – and they blew it.
Fortunately, things have worked out for the Magpies. Howe came in after Emery said no, and has done a brilliant job.
He’s transformed the team, guiding them away from relegation danger. Newcastle are currently nine points clear of the bottom three with eight games to go.
Howe has done a remarkable job, especially given the initial disappointment that Emery wasn’t heading to St James’ Park.
Emery would have been a wonderful appointment. However, Howe is proving to be just that as well.
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