By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Unai Emery has given Aston Villa Football Club a massive boost by extending his contract as head coach until 2027.
The Spaniard, 52, has had a stunning impact at Villa Park since joining from Villarreal in October 2022.
After taking over a side who were just one point clear of the relegation zone, Emery guided them to a seventh place finish and qualification for the Europa Conference League.
Villa picked up 49 points from 25 games, a record that was only bettered by Man City, Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool.
This season, they sit fourth in the Premier League with Champions League qualification in their sights. They are six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, who have two games in hand.
Renowned for his expertise in European competition, Emery has also steered Villa into a semi-final in the Conference League, where they will face Greek side Olympiakos with the hope of reaching a first European final since 1982.
Emery won the Europa League in three consecutive seasons with Sevilla before also lifting the trophy in 2021 with Villarreal.
He spent 18 months in charge of Arsenal, which was widely considered to be unsuccessful despite the Gunners finishing fifth in the Premier League and reaching the 2019 Europa League final, where they lost to Chelsea.
This is a blow for Bayern, who have already seen key targets Xabi Alonso and Julian Nagelsmann reject overtures for the job, with the pair committing their futures to Bayer Leverkusen and Germany respectively.