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Europa League winning boss eyed as a potential successor for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United

Originally posted on We All Follow United
By Jainil Shah | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 7:55 PM ET

Manchester United are keeping tabs on Unai Emery as a potential replacement for Ruben Amorim

It looks like things are calm on the surface at Old Trafford, but apparently there is an ever-growing intrigue behind the scenes at M16. And Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is apparently right at the heart of it.

While Ruben Amorim is undergoing his rebuild at Carrington and his position looks apparently safe as of now, according to the latest reports from Football Insider, the chiefs at Manchester Reds are quietly monitoring the Aston Villa boss. This comes with an air of uneasy atmosphere at Villa Park.

The Portuguese head coach apparently has all the backing he needs to continue at United as of now. Though that hasn’t stopped the decision-makers at Man Utd from starting to prepare for “what if” scenarios. And if these recent reports are to be believed, Emery is reportedly topping that list.

Emery has impressive stats at Villa

If we see how the 53-year-old took the Villans from getting eliminated back in 2022 to welcoming Champions League just two seasons later. It shows that he has the capacity to deliver. And doing that at Villa Park is not just a bare turnaround; it’s more of a statement.

And this very impact has led United to turn heads, especially given how Villa are coming into the summer with kind of a shaky summer, given how his employers couldn’t afford a lot of spending owing to PSR (profit and sustainability rules).

The vertical playing style that they have implemented at Villa Park under Emery has made Aston Villa one of the hardest sides to beat outside the “Big Six”.

And this is exactly what Manchester United are looking at…

Emery has improved massively in his second stint in English football

Emery first got a taste of Premier League football after he replaced Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. But then he came into the league, quite struggling to put through his playing style in what was a pacey and physical 38-game season. Though he has understood that since, and you see how different it is at Villa Park.

While his playing style is quite similar, the way he has put it through is quite different. Also having won numerous Europa League titles during his career, he knows how to get the work done at the top level.

But Amorim is safe for now

That being said, despite United looking at Emery, Amorim is safe in his job right now. But the results need to improve under the Portuguese head coach soon, as the club cannot afford another bottom-half finish.

This article first appeared on We All Follow United and was syndicated with permission.

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