Had Unai Emery agreed to take over at Newcastle United then it would have been inevitable several of the Villarreal side would have been linked with a move to the Magpies.
One of the players most likely to have been thrown into the mix is Arnaut Danjuma, an attacking stars of the Spanish club.
The 24-year-old has been something of a revelation since swapping Bournemouth for Villarreal, and has been catching the eye of Premier League recruiters. Liverpool have been the club linked most seriously in recent months, with scouts from the Reds going to watch Danjuma in person.
His star is rising, and De Telegraaf have spoken to the player, asking what he makes of his current managers at club and national level.
Danjuma told the Dutch newspaper: “I’m really happy that Unai is staying despite Newcastle United’s interest. He is a really great coach for me. After one exhibition game in a 4-4-2 as a left midfielder, he came to me and said: ‘You’re so menacing with the ball, I’m going to look left and right to see who can play behind you, so you can stay as far ahead as possible.’
“I’m not going to say no to that! I am not averse to co-defending and in contemporary football that is a must. But recognising the qualities within his group so quickly and then letting it run like Villarreal made me realise: this is a top coach. If I can save energy up front, the more moments of brilliance I can have, you know? At Oranje I think Louis van Gaal is really nice to be with. His discussions, analyses: you can tell that he has so much experience. That I look forward to.”
Emery decided to reject the approach from Newcastle United, with some reports claiming the manager was unhappy with the media circus which surrounded him earlier this week.
However, it was noted that he didn’t want to completely shut the door on the Magpies permanently.