FORMER Arsenal boss Unai Emery is set to take the reins at Spanish side Villarreal.
Current boss Javi Calleja will leave the La Liga side despite leading them to a Europa League place this season.
Unai Emery is expected to take over at Villarreal
Marca report that Emery has already been signed up to replace him at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
The 48-year-old has been out of work since he was sacked by the Gunners earlier this season.
It would mark a return to the Spanish league where Emery has previously taken charge of Sevilla, Valencia and Almeria.
Emery left Sevilla, where he won three consecutive Europa League trophies, for Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.
Players celebrate with Javi Calleja after scoring against EibarCredit: Getty Images – Getty
It is expected that the announcement of his arrival will be confirmed soon now that the season has concluded.
Villarreal finished fifth in La Liga, ten points behind Emery’s old side Sevilla.
They capped off a successful campaign with a final-day 4-0 rout of Eibar.
But players rushed over to celebrate with manager Calleja after the first goal scored by Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa – a clear hint he is on his way out the door.
Calleja would follow another ex-Arsenal man in Santi Cazorla by leaving Villarreal.
Cazorla rejoined his first club in 2018 from Arsenal and his departure at the end of this season was previously confirmed.
He received a hero’s send-off in the game against Eibar before it was announced today that he would be managed by former international team-mate Xavi at Qatari side Al-Sadd next season.
Ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery dated Spanish bar owner at same time as British ex-girlfriend
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
