Unai Emery stance on Jadon Sancho transfer revealed

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has opened the door to keeping Jadon Sancho beyond the current campaign, praising the winger’s recent improvement and confirming the club’s willingness to enter contract talks if the 24-year-old maintains his upward trajectory.

Sancho arrived at Villa Park on a season-long loan from Manchester United last summer and initially struggled to adapt to Emery’s demanding tactical structure. The early months were marked by inconsistent displays and a lack of end product, prompting quiet concern inside the club’s Bodymoor Heath training complex.

Yet the narrative has shifted. Over the past six weeks the England international has found rhythm: he registered his first assist in claret and blue by teeing up Morgan Rogers against Bournemouth last weekend and followed that by scoring his maiden Villa goal in the Europa Conference League quarter-final first-leg win over Fenerbahça. Those contributions have coincided with a broader uptick in confidence, sharper decision-making in the final third and a work-rate that has satisfied Emery’s non-negotiable pressing demands.

Speaking ahead of Villa’s push for European qualification, Emery did not hide his satisfaction. “The first part of the season was not enough; he was working and trying, but not achieving the performance we needed,” the Spaniard told Birmingham Live. “Now he is getting better. He is getting the challenge for him and us. I spoke with him a few times about the challenge we have with him and that he has with us.”

The timing is significant. Sancho’s Manchester United deal expires in June, meaning he is poised to become a free agent and can negotiate with any club. When asked whether Villa would explore a permanent move, Emery replied: “Hopefully he can help us by increasing his qualities in our structure like he is doing. He will need another contract, and maybe it could be here. If he plays his best football, we will want him. But also other teams could be involved in the interest for him.”

Those final words serve as both encouragement and a warning: Sancho’s resurgence has not gone unnoticed across the Premier League and continental sides monitoring his situation. For Villa, the next six weeks represent a dual audition: the player must sustain his form to secure European football for the Midlands club, while the club must convince him that his long-term future lies under Emery’s guidance.

With the season entering its decisive phase, every training session, tactical tweak and match-day cameo will carry extra weight. Should Sancho continue on his current curve, Villa Park may yet become his permanent home.