AdminAston Villa boss Unai Emery has refused to rule out working with former Sevilla sporting director Monchi for a third time, with the pair having enjoyed a successful relationship during their previous spells together.
Emery first worked with Monchi at Sevilla in 2013, where the club went on to win three consecutive Europa League titles.
The manager left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, while Monchi later moved to Roma before eventually returning to Sevilla.
The Spaniard joined Villa in 2023, nine months after Emery’s arrival, but departed in 2025 to focus on the San Fernando project.
Emery has now revealed that Monchi had previously been considered for roles at both PSG and Arsenal.
Speaking ahead of Villa’s friendly against Sevilla, Emery reflected on their complicated history and the financial difficulties that eventually contributed to Monchi’s departure from Villa Park.
âWell, I couldnât tell him, and then one day he called me and said, âLook, Marca is saying youâre going to PSG, and when Marca reports it like thisâŠâ And I told him, âDamn it, Monchi, Iâm really sorry, but I couldnât tell you, and itâs true theyâre going to pay the release clauses, and obviously for me itâs an opportunity, and I have to take it, Monchiâ,â he said.
Emery also admitted Villa’s Financial Fair Play difficulties made the situation challenging.
âWe had to sell, and we had a tough time with everything, figuring out how to fix this, and even then, everything worked out, but it was difficult.â
However, Emery remains open to another reunion.
âI have a lot of affection for him, and as a professional, I have the utmost respect for him. Weâve worked together twice, almost three times, because, well, even at PSG, I always wanted to work with him,â Unai Emery explained.
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