Unai Emery extends Aston Villa contract

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has committed to the club until at least 2027 after his contract was extended.

The Spaniard’s existing deal still had two years to run but he has agreed terms for an additional 12 months.

Villa are also keen to sit down with the 52-year-old in the summer and discuss a new longer-term contract.

Emery has done an impressive job at Villa Park, guiding them from a relegation fight when taking over from Steven Gerrard in November 2022 to the brink of Champions League qualification this season.

They are also in the semi-final of the Europa Conference League, where they play Olympiacos, and are the favourites to win the tournament which would represent a first European trophy since 1982.

Due to his impressive work at Villa Park, he was recently linked with the vacant Bayern Munich managerial position, while a number of other top European clubs will be looking for managers this summer and might have targeted the former Sevilla, Arsenal and Paris St Germain boss.

After Emery guided them to a seventh-placed finish last season, Villa have kicked on this term and are in pole position to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

They are sixth points ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham, who have two games in hand, and are managing their tough Thursday-Sunday schedule well.

“Me and the football management…we share the vision of the owners. Nassef (Sawiris) and Wes (Edens) are very supportive and respectful, and we have a good environment and the right structure to develop this football club.

“We must maintain the hard-working spirit, clever decisions and coordination with the ownership that we have found during this time. We will work to get better and better. And we will demand from each other. Ambition already is, and must always be, the motto of this project.”

Villa play Chelsea on Saturday night where they could move nine points clear of Spurs, who play Arsenal on Sunday.