Al-Hilal have Aston Villa manager Unai Emery in their three-man shortlist to replace Simone Inzaghi.
The Spaniard’s impressive work at the Premier League side hasn’t gone unnoticed, and he’s now attracting interest from Saudi Arabia.
Emery arrived at Villa Park in November 2022 and has so far managed 201 matches. The Villans have won 110 and drawn 35, scoring 345 goals and conceding 263 goals.
The manager has been instrumental in Aston Villa’s rise. He has helped them qualify for Europe every season, including returning to the Champions League for the first time in four decades.
Emery was also instrumental in guiding his side to Europa League success last season.
Saudi interest in Aston Villa manager
365 Scores reports Al-Hilal have Unai Emery, Pep Guardiola and Julian Nagelsmann as the three options if they were to part ways with Simone Inzaghi.
The situation around the current coach has seen them consider making ‘radical changes’, and therefore, the Middle East club are looking at the three targets.
As things stand, there has been no contact or negotiations with any of the candidates. For now, Al-Hilal are carrying out an ongoing assessment of the current coaching staff.
A move for the Aston Villa boss or other targets directly depends on the ‘surprise sacking’ of Inzaghi.
Why Inzaghi’s future is uncertain
The Saudi club won five of their six league games this season and are leading the table.
Despite this, Al-Hilal are considering replacing Simone Inzaghi. That’s because he was ‘completely sidelined’ during the summer window, ‘raising numerous questions about his future with the club.’
365 Scores states: ‘Inzaghi’s sidelining came against a backdrop of uncertainty within the management regarding his continued tenure as head coach, prompting officials to seek alternative options capable of successfully steering the team.’
If the Italian were to leave, Al-Hilal will consider making progress for Unai Emery, Pep Guardiola or Julian Nagelsmann. The latter two have been without a job since leaving Manchester City and Germany respectively.
Meanwhile, it’ll be difficult to take Emery away from the Premier League side. In May, Aston Villa director Damian Vidagany said the manager is happy at the club amid interest of Real Madrid and other clubs.
At that time, he said: “Unai is happy here at Aston Villa. We have, if not the best, one of the two or three best coaches in the world,” he said.
“Not only at Real Madrid, but at many top clubs around the world, Unai’s name has been and continues to be on the table.”
The Spaniard has a contract until 2029. This is another factor that makes it difficult for a club to snatch him away from Aston Villa.
