"They have made me aware of their interest" - Spanish manager opens up on Newcastle United links
Villarreal manager Unai Emery has not ruled out a move to Newcastle United but revealed the Magpies are yet to make him an offer.
Newcastle United sacked Steve Bruce and handed Graeme Jones the caretaker role in late October. Jones has not been able to turn the club’s fortunes around as they are still winless in 10 Premier League games.
Newcastle United’s new owners will not want the club to go down as that would considerably delay their ambitious project. Thus, they need to hire a top manager soon.
🚨 EXCL: Newcastle manager search down to final 2 — Unai Emery + Eddie Howe. Emery preferred candidate. Will come down to whether #NUFC are prepared to meet 49yo’s personal terms & pay the sort or money he was on at Arsenal. Compensation to Villarreal €6m theathletic.com/news/unai-emer…
Emery is the frontrunner for the job, but the Spaniard admitted Newcastle United have not approached him yet.
"The only certainty is that they have shown interest in me, but I don't have bigger news than that," Emery told Movistar.
"There is no offer. If there was it would be through the club. I'm focused, I can't say I'm going. I'm going to continue preparing for the Getafe game and that's the attitude I'm going to have."
When asked if he would be interested in taking on the Newcastle United role if given the chance, Emery decided to keep his cards close to the chest.
“If that happened, I would talk to [Villarreal president] Fernando Roig. I would have respect for the squad and the club, I would consult them first. I'm not opening or closing any doors, I've not said no to the interest. I would discuss it with Fernando and the club. I can't say anything else. My focus is where I am," said Emery.
Newcastle United in dire need of a new manager
Newcastle United have some decent players in their squad, but have struggled for rhythm this season and find themselves six points away from safety.
Having seen Tottenham Hotspur sack their manager and hire a new one in a matter of days, the Newcastle United hierarchy will be disappointed they have not been able to do the same.
Unai Emery: “Newcastle have shown an interest but I've been thinking about the game all day. There’s NO offer. The offer would have to be via the club. I am focused on Villarreal. No more than that. Preparing for Sunday's game at Villarreal”. 🟡 #NUFC @RyanTaylorSport https://t.co/dQ99nF0dqW
The club will need to act fast and hire a new manager soon, as the fixtures come thick and fast during the month of December.
Signing new players will also be important in January, so Newcastle United will need a good manager to assess the problematic areas before that.