Unai Emery has rejected the chance to take over as Newcastle's new head coach, with the ex-Arsenal boss publicly confirming his decision to stay at Villarreal.
Goal reported on Tuesday that Newcastle had opened talks with Emery over their vacant permanent manager's post, with the club having taken the decision to part ways with previous boss Steve Bruce following a Premier League defeat to Tottenham on October 17.
Emery admitted to being approached by the Magpies following Villarreal's 2-0 Champions League win over Young Boys, but also said that no formal offer had been made, and has now come out to clarify his future once and for all.
What's been said?
The Spaniard has released a statement via his official Twitter account, which reads: "Villarreal CF is my home and I am 100% committed. Honestly, I am grateful for the interest of a great club, but even more grateful to be here and that is why I communicated to Fernando Roig my decision to want to continue being part of this project.
"No matter how much noise there was yesterday in another country, within the club there was transparency and loyalty with the Roig family and with my staff, which is maximum and for me that is the most important thing.
"I want to thank the fans for the support they have always shown me. On Sunday we have a very important game and I hope that together we can achieve victory. See you at the Estadio de la Ceramica."
Newcastle's new manager search goes on
Newcastle's search for Bruce's successor will now continue as they seek to usher in a new era following the completion of their £300 million ($409m), Saudi-backed takeover.
Goal has reported that former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is also in the frame, having guided the Cherries from League Two to the Premier League during his eight-year stint at the Vitality Stadium.
The Magpies have approached Howe, who has been out of work since being sacked by Bournemouth after their relegation in 2019-20, but it is not yet known whether he has now replaced Emery as the club's number one candidate.
Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Lucien Favre, Paulo Fonseca and Robert Martinez have also been linked with the top job at St James' Park, with whoever is eventually chosen set to face the huge task of trying to keep Newcastle in the Premier League following their poor start to the season.
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