Unai Emery is suddenly one of the most searched names in British football. The Aston Villa boss has emerged as a leading target for Manchester United if the club decides to sack Michael Carrick, after Wednesday's 4-1 Champions League thrashing at Como left United with two wins from 11 games this season. Carrick is still expected to lead the team against Bournemouth on Sunday, but the search for a possible successor has already begun.
Key points
- The Guardian reports that Unai Emery and Julian Nagelsmann are the leading targets to replace Carrick if United's board decides on a change, and that both have admirers at board level.
- BBC Sport says club sources expect Carrick to remain in charge for Sunday's Premier League match against Bournemouth, but that United have already begun identifying possible replacements.
- United have won two of 11 games this season and none of their last seven, their worst run since 2015-16, according to the BBC. The Guardian calls it the club's poorest start since 1986.
- Emery is contracted to Aston Villa until 2029 and earns between £10m and £12m a year, so compensation could be a major obstacle, the Guardian reports.
- Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Nagelsmann, all currently out of work, are understood to be interested in the job, according to the BBC.
Unai Emery pictured in October 2016, during his spell in charge of Paris Saint-Germain. Photo: Liondartois, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Why Unai Emery is on Manchester United's radar
The reason is simple: few managers in Europe can match Emery's record in knockout football. According to his career record, he holds the record for the most UEFA Europa League titles with five. He won three in a row with Sevilla, a fourth with Villarreal in his first season there, and a fifth with Aston Villa last season.
That Europa League win was Villa's first major trophy since 1996, the Guardian notes, and the club also finished fourth in the Premier League, one place behind United. Since taking over at Villa Park in October 2022, Emery has also guided the club to a Conference League semi-final in 2024 and the Champions League quarter-finals in 2025.
Before England, he won a Ligue 1 title and a domestic quadruple with Paris Saint-Germain. His only real setback at a big club came at Arsenal, where he succeeded Arsène Wenger in 2018, reached the Europa League final in his first season and was dismissed in November 2019.
The Carrick crisis at Old Trafford
Carrick, 45, was appointed permanently in May after winning 12 of 17 games as interim manager and returning United to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Since then, results have collapsed.
BBC Sport reports that senior figures at the club are worried about effort levels, with one source saying: "We have a Champions League squad and need to be playing at that level." After the Como defeat, captain Bruno Fernandes questioned Carrick's tactics, and defender Lisandro Martinez had earlier criticised the club's recruitment.
Not everyone at the club wants another change, though. The BBC says some in the hierarchy believe that changing managers so often in recent years has failed to stop United's decline, and that Carrick has been let down by under-performing players. Carrick is due to hold his pre-match news conference on Friday at 13:30 BST.
Unai Emery vs Nagelsmann: who else is in the frame?
Emery is not the only name. The Guardian reports that Julian Nagelsmann, 39, who left the Germany job after the team's last-32 World Cup exit this summer, is highly regarded by United's head of recruitment Christopher Vivell and would be interested in an approach. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2022.
Other possible candidates include Antonio Conte, formerly of Napoli, Eddie Howe, who left Newcastle in the close season, and Kieran McKenna, formerly of Ipswich. Brighton's Fabian Hürzeler is highly rated at United, but the Guardian understands he is not open to leaving Brighton at this stage.
For Emery, the hurdles are practical. Villa would almost certainly demand a large fee to release a manager under contract until 2029, and the BBC notes that extracting him from Villa Park "would be difficult".
Why it matters
United have now backed a manager in the summer for three straight years, only to see results fall apart by autumn. Ten Hag was dismissed in October 2024 and Ruben Amorim was sacked in January. Turning to a proven winner like Unai Emery would be a statement of intent, but prising him from a rival that finished above them in the Champions League places is a different matter. For now, Carrick remains in charge, and Sunday's game against Bournemouth could shape what happens next.
Sources
- The Guardian: Emery and Nagelsmann are top targets if Manchester United sack Carrick (Oct. 22, 2026)
- BBC Sport: Carrick carrying on but senior Man Utd figures concerned by performances (Oct. 22, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Unai Emery career record
Related: Como 4-1 Man Utd: Nico Paz Masterclass Piles Pressure on Carrick
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