Unai Emery is in talks with West Ham (Picture: AP)

If first impressions count, then West Ham fans must hope Unai Emery is a man with a liking for lavish décor.

Reports that the coach who has just guided Sevilla to a second consecutive Europa League triumph is on his way to talk to the Irons – and that those discussions will take place in the understated grandeur of co-owner David Sullivan’s Essex mansion – would suggest the search for Sam Allardyce’s replacement is progressing at some pace.

Since taking over in January 2010, Sullivan and co-owner David Gold have a patchy record on managerial appointments. Replacing the likeable but ineffective Gianfranco Zola with the disastrous Avram Grant made an already bad situation worse, before the appointment of Allardyce – big on grit but low on finesse – dug the club out of a hole and restored stability, but at the cost of fan satisfaction.



So far, so meh. The prospect of removal vans outside the Boleyn in 12 months’ time, packing things up for the move to the Olympic Stadium, means that the next appointment is the most crucial in the club’s history. Get it right, and the team could fly into their new home sky-high on confidence and momentum; get it wrong, and the club’s new era could get off to the most embarrassing of starts. So that is why the fact that a manager like Emery is even on their radar is a sign that they are raising the sights of everyone at the club.


The 43-year-old may not speak much English, but his track record does plenty of talking, and his age and the consistency of his performance suggests that the best may be yet to come. Like Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, an injury-curtailed playing career saw him move into management early, and he excelled on limited resources. Then, stepping up to Valencia, he got them back into the Champions League and steadied an uneven ship, before a short-lived and ill-fated sojourn in Russian football.

Back home in Spain at Sevilla, two consecutive fifth place La Liga finishes, each accompanied by the Europa League title added to his reputation. Clearly, this is someone destined for a bigger stage. But whose?

The fact the Irons appear have seen off interest from Napoli for Emery is another hint at his class. The Neapolitans wanted someone to replace Rafael Benitez – a man whose success include the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Italian Cup and La Liga twice – and Emery was on their shortlist. And for believers in the adage ‘judge a man by the company he keeps’, so was Jurgen Klopp.

Every appointment is a gamble, and with West Ham facing the biggest period of upheaval in club history, this one is even bigger than most. But the fact the Irons are even at the table for him is a sign of positive thinking – and if he’s here to talk, he’s keen too. In the absence of a stand-out, box-ticking alternative, West Ham should seize their chance – go for Emery.

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