Villarreal might just be saved some serious cash by Newcastle United.
Reports emerged this week claiming Newcastle United were interested in appointing Villarreal boss Unai Emery.
Emery was installed as a shock favourite to take over the Magpies following their recent Saudi takeover and the subsequent departure of Steve Bruce.
Since then, the Yellow Submarine boss has refuted the rumours, claiming he didn’t know anything about the links.
But in a fresh report from The Times, it is claimed Newcastle have agreed a £5million compensation package for Emery and it is expected he will be appointed this week.
Disaster for Villarreal? Maybe not.
Emery proved a historical appointment last season after he led Villarreal to their first ever major title, winning the Europa League, something he has done more than any other manager.
But he disappointed domestically, guiding a talented Yellows squad to seventh in the league.
That would have seen them drop into the newly former Conference League had they not won the Europa League.
Instead, league efforts were covered up and then some by the European success and Villarreal are now playing Champions League football for the first time in 10 years.
They are doing pretty well in that competition, too, in with a chance of going first or second in their group if they beat Young Boys at home tonight.
But once again, it is a different story domestically, and with European success unlikely this term, it simply isn’t going to wash.
Villarreal have one of the most talented squads in the division having been among La Liga’s highest spenders in the summer.
But they have won just three of their first 11 games this season, leaving them in 13th following a derby defeat to Valencia over the weekend.
Heading into this week, Emery was under pressure given the start to the season his side has managed, but there were two obstacles.
Firstly, there is the cost. Almost everything in football comes down to money, and with Emery among the highest paid bosses in the club’s history, the compensation they would have been significant, even if his contract wasn’t a long one.
And then there is the PR aspect of sacking the man who brought you your only every European title.
So, for Villarreal, Newcastle United’s approach is a near-perfect scenario, able to avoid the PR aspect and not only avoid paying out compensation but instead receiving a hefty amount to put towards their next boss, be it someone like Ernesto Valverde or Diego Martinez.
Although not everyone at Villarreal is likely to admit it, this is far from a disaster for the Castellon club if it does pan out the way reports suggest it might.
