Emery is under contract at Villa until 2029. He has already worked at the likes of Sevilla, Arsenal, Villarreal and Paris Saint-Germain, but is being tipped to take charge of another heavyweight outfit at some stage.
Villa are hoping to match the 54-year-old’s ambition, with the club’s former president of football operations – Monchi – telling Mundo Maldini recently: “He was already at PSG and Arsenal. I am not sure, but if you tell me it’s going to be Madrid, Barcelona, United, I don’t know.
“I know he is happy in Birmingham and he is happy at Aston Villa. He’s qualified to coach top class players and he has already done it. He can do it. He has the ability to get the best out of every player. I have witnessed first-hand just how methodical and hard-working he is when preparing. It pays off in 95 per cent of cases.
“This year was complicated, because we had to go through a difficult market. The financial burden was a major burden. In the last month they have missed Tielemans, [Boubacar] Kamara and [John] McGinn, all key players. They play an average of 45 or 50 games.
“The priority objective must be to qualify for the Champions League. They have had a magnificent season, also with the excitement of the Europa League. The squad has bought the message. If you talk to [Ollie] Watkins, [Ezri] Konsa, McGinn or [Matty] Cash, they are in a golden age.”