United players pushed for Emery as Pochettino closes in on Old Trafford job

Manchester United are closing in on the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager, with the club having struck an agreement to release him from his contract with the United States national team — but a significant portion of the squad had been hoping for a different outcome.

According to talkSPORT, a host of United players were keen to see Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery take charge at Old Trafford. The Spaniard had been among several names linked with the vacancy and his sustained success at Villa Park has placed him on the radar of virtually every major club in Europe.

The timing carries a certain irony. Emery was visibly frustrated on Sunday when his Villa side twice surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 4-4 at Old Trafford, with the Spaniard walking down the touchline before the final whistle after his team conceded for the fourth time.

During his tenure at Villa, Emery has built a reputation as one of the Premier League’s two standout managers — alongside Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta — delivering Champions League football twice and adding another Europa League title last term, all while operating under significant financial constraints and losing key players each summer. His earlier work at Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal has only added to his standing.

The caveat most often cited is his underwhelming spells at Arsenal and PSG, where he lasted less than two years at each club. Handling the unique pressures of a heavyweight institution is something observers note he will need to prove himself capable of at the highest level.

Pochettino, meanwhile, returns to English football after a single season at Chelsea, where he guided the club to sixth place before being dismissed. It is his time at Tottenham that remains the defining chapter of his managerial career — leading Spurs to third and then second in successive Premier League seasons and reaching the 2019 Champions League final.

His name was strongly linked with the United job as far back as 2018, when he was widely considered the natural successor to José Mourinho. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s impressive interim run — which included a win at Tottenham — ultimately secured the Norwegian the role instead.

United’s need for change is pressing. The club sit in the relegation zone, their lowest position at this stage of a season in forty years, and interim manager Michael Carrick is expected to pay the price as the club’s senior figures convene in Monaco to finalise the next appointment.