Aston Villa could be set to land a sensational appointment for their vacant manager position…

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Villarreal boss Unai Emery is set to enter preliminary discussions for the job following Steven Gerrard’s dismissal yesterday.

The Spaniard is reportedly the more likely candidate than the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, whom the report claims has reservations about coming to Villa Park.

To lure either of these elite managers would mark a sensational piece of business, and a fine upgrade from the previous manager.

It would be a masterstroke

Although Pochettino was the dream option, it now seems clear that plans to tempt him were nothing more than a pipe dream.

Emery however stands as a far more realistic option, as he reportedly showed great interest in a return to the Premier League with Newcastle United back in November.

The only reason he did not was due to his mid-season commitments with his current team, who were on a Champions League run at the time that eventually reached the semi-finals.

This season, they only have the UEFA Europa Conference League to deal with, which would be much easier to walk away from guilt-free.

His run in Europe’s elite competition stands as one of his greatest achievements to date, however he is also a four-time Europa League winner with both Sevilla and the Yellow Submarine.

The 50-year-old has a pedigree that extends far beyond most managers already in the league, and despite his supposed failure at Arsenal, he also reached another Europa League final and missed out on the Champions League spots by one point with them.

If given a chance to build his own squad, free of any mandatory purchases and unnecessary pressures, he could genuinely create something special at the Midlands club.

Michael Cox even once lauded Emery’s ability to compete with Pep Guardiola on a tactical level, with particular emphasis on the “clever gameplan” he would often spring.

A clear tactical master, to get him to make the move to the Midlands would have supporters quickly forgetting that Pochettino was ever an option.

It could be the start of something really special following such a dismal 11 months under Gerrard.