Unai Emery is set to reject a move to Newcastle United despite reports in England suggesting otherwise.
Reports emerged over the course of Tuesday claiming Newcastle were closing in on Emery as they look to appoint a high-profile head coach to lead their new project following their Saudi takeover.
After leading Villarreal to a Champions League win over Young Boys on Tuesday night, Emery added fuel to the fire, refusing to rule out a move to St James’ Park.
He said: “There has been interest but no offer. I have been concentrating on the game tonight and I am happy at Villarreal. If there is an offer, I would speak with Fernando Roig.
“I would have respect for the squad and the club. It is not that I close or open the door.”
Those comments made it appear very likely Emery was going to walk away from his project at Villarreal, but this morning brings fresh news.
As reported elsewhere, Emery has held a positive meeting with Villarreal president Roig following his side’s win over Young Boys.
The Basque coach is said to be pleased with how his side reacted following a bad run of form on Wednesday night and keen to see out the project he is currently overseeing in Castellon.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague also reports that Emery is not convinced by the project at Newcastle.
It’s reported that Emery doesn’t see any experience in the decision-makers at St James’ Park and is baffled by the occurrence of the name Eddie Howe.
Howe is said to be the other candidate in the running for the job, and Emery sees a large contrast between himself and the former Bournemouth manager, both in terms of experience and style.
That’s another of the reasons Emery is said to be set to reject Newcastle, and fresh backing from Villarreal chief Roig amid a difficult run of results has also helped him decide to remain where he is, still under contract for another year-and-a-half.
