Unai Emery signs new long-term contract at Aston Villa after securing Champions League spot for first time in Premier League team's history

Emery, 52, has put pen to paper on a new five-year-deal at Villa Park after securing a spot in next season's Champions League. The deal commits him to the West Midlands club until 2029, after initially arriving in the Second City back in 2022 as Steven Gerrard's successor.

Speaking in a statement released by the club, Emery said: “I am very happy to take this step and the responsibility of leading this club. Since I came to Villa with Wes and Nassef we found always the best environment and structure to develop a project with the highest ambition. All the football structure with Monchi and Damian and the owners, we share the same vision and same goals. There’s a great chemistry in Aston Villa. And the element of the fans’ support also makes the difference to feel like home. We are really excited to continue this journey with no limits to our dreams.”

Villa announced an initial contract extension for the Spaniard in April, which was set to run until 2027. However, with his success at the club not going unnoticed by teams across Europe, such as Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Villa have now tied Emery down to a long-term deal.

Owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are eager to build on the successes from the season, with the former adding: “We are building something special here at Aston Villa with Unai at its core and we are delighted that he has signed a new deal with the club until 2029.

“As we move into our historic, 150th anniversary year, there is a lot to look forward to with Unai at the helm.”

The Villa boss will now enjoy some well-deserved time off before prepping for the 2024-25 season. In the coming weeks, Emery and his recruitment team will discuss possible incomings and outgoings to prepare the team for their Champions League adventure in the next campaign.