Back in January, Mundo Deportivo reported Aston Villa were keen on appointing Real Sociedad chief Roberto Olabe as their sporting director on the insistence of Unai Emery.
The Spaniard is still at the La Liga side and earlier this year, he signed a new contract until 2026.
Emery had asked Aston Villa to bring the 55-year-old to Villa Park in January and this is again highlighted in today’s Mundo Deportivo.
After Emery made the request, Villa made a proposal and Olabe rejected it.
Mundo state Olabe ‘hesitated’ after receiving an offer the Premier League side, but he turned them down in the end. It’s stated he ‘didn’t succumb’ to the ‘power of pounds’.
The newspaper say that with regards to Aston Villa’s offer, he said: “My question was not related to the external search, but whether I could really contribute here. It was a moment of surprise, which remained there, it did not go beyond. I am super excited to be here, it is the best place where I can be.”
Last month, the English club made an offer to Barcelona’sMateu Alemany and this was also confirmed by the Catalan club’s vice-president, Eduard Romeu.
Alemany was initially set to leave the Camp Nou before he snubbed Aston Villa and made a U-turn to continue at Barca.
