Emery close to agreeing new Aston Villa contract

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery is close to agreeing a contract extension at the club - which will hand him even more responsibility for long-term development.The Villa boss held talks with the hierarchy on Wednesday to discuss the club's future, with all parties keen on extending his time at Villa Park.Emery would relish the opportunity to play an even bigger role in developing the club for the long term, with talks ongoing about the fine details, the finances, and the length of the new deal.The plan is to announce the new contract once all details have been agreed, which is unlikely to be before the weekend.Emery, whose team won the Europa League in May – Villa's first major trophy in 30 years – celebrated four years at the club last month.In his time at Villa he has transformed the side, from a group who were in a relegation fight to one who have qualified for European football every season under his management.The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Manchester United, who Villa play this weekend at Old Trafford, should they sack boss Michael Carrick.Emery, though, who was already under contract until 2029, is now close to signing a new longer-term deal.On Wednesday night, Villa released a statement saying a meeting had taken place between Emery, club chairman Nassef Sawiris, executives Roberto Olabe and Damian Vidagany.The club said: "The discussions focused on jointly planning the club's long-term strategic direction, with positive discussions establishing a clear commitment beyond 2029 for the joint development of the club under the sporting leadership of Unai Emery based on the shared ambitions and common goal to reach excellency and keep growing during the next years."The objective is clear: to build an ambitious, competitive Aston Villa capable of taking on the biggest challenges and achievements."