Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are fifth in the Premier League after a strong start (Picture: Getty)
Darren Bent says Manchester United would have ‘no chance’ of brining in Aston Villa boss Unai Emery to replace Erik ten Hag as the club’s new manager.
Despite a positive debut season in charge of United, Ten Hag is under significant pressure at Old Trafford following a slow start to the 2023-24 campaign.
The Red Devils are eighth in the Premier League after their opening 10 games, losing half their top-flight fixtures, with Ten Hag’s side already eight points behind the top four.
Villa, meanwhile, are flying under former Arsenal manager Emery and are fifth in the league, just four points behind leaders Tottenham.
Quizzed if Emery could be tempted to swap Villa Park for Old Trafford, Bent told talkSPORT: ‘He wouldn’t leave Aston Villa now. He wouldn’t.
‘Not with that mess that’s going on [at Man Utd]. He’s not leaving. No chance. At the minute, he’s at a stable football club who are going in the right direction.
‘I don’t know what’s going on at Man Utd. Listen, Man Utd are a bigger club, I have no doubts about that, but right now Aston Villa are in a more stable position and look better than Man Utd.
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‘Do you think Eddie Howe would leave Newcastle to go to Man Utd? Absolutely not.’
Meanwhile, United’s players have privately questioned Ten Hag’s tactical decisions in the wake of their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, according to reports.
There are also concerns in the United dressing room that Ten Hag’s intense training sessions are the cause of some of the injuries that have riddled the squad this season.
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