'He could be a target' – Prem boss working wonders tipped as Erik ten Hag replacement at Man Utd

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been tipped as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

The former Arsenal manager looks set to secure Champions League football for the Midlanders, less than two years after taking over from Steven Gerrard with the club in 17th position. Emery has also improved many players he inherited from the ex-Liverpool captain, particularly Ollie Watkins, who has contributed 19 goals and 12 assists in 35 Premier League appearances this season.

Meanwhile, the pressure continues to be mounted on Ten Hag, who has endured a disappointing second season at the club. As the former Ajax manager's position at Old Trafford continues to be scrutinised, ex-Villa boss Paul Lambert believes new United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe may consider Emery.

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While speaking on behalf of Betway, Lambert said: “Unai Emery could be a target for Manchester United, but I’m not one to speculate when someone is still in the job.

“‌Erik ten Hag is getting criticism left, right and centre at Manchester United which is a bit bizarre at times. He's trying his best at United and they’ve got an FA Cup final that they can try and win.

“‌I think criticism is aimed at Ten Hag and then everybody jumps on the bandwagon. The guy is being kicked from pillar to post when he’s just trying to manage the club the best he can. Only he will know what’s going on."

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Villa will book their place in the Champions League if they beat Liverpool at Villa Park on Monday (May 13) night. If they lose to Jurgen Klopp's side, their place in European football's biggest competition will still be secured if Manchester City overcome Tottenham Hotspur in their penultimate midweek clash.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag launched another staunch defence of his position before United's home clash against Arsenal. When asked if he felt worried about his position, the 54-year-old emphatically snapped back: "No. I think they [the owners] have common sense.

"They see when you have 32 different backlines, when you lose eight centre backs, when they see we use 13 different partnerships at centre half, when we don’t have a left full back, when we have so many injuries - they know that will have a negative impact on results.

"But still we are fighting and it’s a huge FA Cup final. We are very happy to be there, it can still be a highlight for this season. Of course, we are not happy but we know the reasons why we are underperforming in the ranking now and that of course is the injuries.

"I am a realistic person, I see this when I analyse and no team will perform when you have so many injuries in key areas."