Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has urged Manchester United to appoint Unai Emery as the next manager at the club. He believes that the Aston Villa coach is the ideal candidate to replace Michael Carrick in the summer.

Writing in his The Telegraph column, Carragher hailed Emery as an underrated manager, adding that he might not even make the list at Manchester United. He added that the Spaniard not making the list at Old Trafford is good news for Aston Villa and said:

“Unai Emery should be heading to Old Trafford this weekend as the frontrunner to become the next Manchester United manager. I suspect he does not rank high among the candidates. That is good news for Aston Villa, but it must be frustrating for one of the best, and still most underrated, coaches in Europe.”

Ranking Emery as the second-best manager in the league, Carragher said the former Arsenal coach can win trophies and comes with a clear vision for the club and his squad.

“For Emery not to be under serious consideration says plenty about modern football. By any metric, he would be the perfect coach to revive United. For me, only Pep Guardiola ranks higher of those currently managing in England. Here is a manager who wins trophies, has a clear football vision, a track record of revitalising clubs in need of a mini-revolution to break into the Champions League, and who demands respect while leading with authority.”

Carragher went on to add that Emery now has enough Premier League experience under his belt and wrote:

“Add the fact he is now proven in the Premier League, and such coaches are in short supply. Emery is not part of the conversation but he should be. The puzzling question is why? Sadly for Emery, and happily for Villa, the Spaniard is painted as an overachiever at clubs trying to challenge the elite, and an underachiever at those who consider themselves already part of it.”

Unai Emery has a contract with Aston Villa until 2029, having signed an extension in 2024.

Michael Carrick has a short-term deal at Manchester United

Michael Carrick was appointed at Manchester United in January, soon after the sacking of Ruben Amorim. The Englishman has done well at the club, winning six and losing one in the Premier League.

However, club legend Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville are against the idea of Carrick getting the job permanently this summer. They want a more experienced manager to take over at Old Trafford.

Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, and Julian Nagelsmann have been linked with the Manchester United job.