Unai Emery's potential move to Newcastle United is a huge statement of intent by the new owners

Two weeks since the unpopular Steve Bruce was sacked, Amanda Staveley & Co have identified Emery as their number one target, where talks are ongoing.

The managerial position is their first major appointment and in Emery, they’ll have found someone with a CV Newcastle will do very well to attract, especially given its current position in the Premier League table.

Perhaps that’s a testament to the size of the club – after all, it captivated Rafa Benitez. From Steve McClaren to Benitez to Bruce to possibly Emery… it’s been one extreme to the other.

More so, Emery’s potential arrival represents a huge signal of intent and gives fans another flavour of the exciting plans and ambitions from the top.

The new owners needed to go big, which has been made 10x more difficult by the threat of relegation, and this is an appointment that would excite and unite the fanbase.

You’d be happy with Emery arriving if and when Newcastle are competing for the top six, never mind sitting second bottom of the Premier League, six points from safety.

That’s because his CV speaks for itself. A record-breaking four Europa Leagues with Sevilla and Villarreal, a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain plus more domestic trophies, Emery is an elite winner.

Reviews from his time at Arsenal are mixed but in reality, he did no worst, if not better than current boss Mikel Arteta. At least that’s how it looks from the outside anyway.

Emery had the difficult task of succeeding Arsene Wenger and even then, he guided the club to the Europa League final and challenged the Champions League places.

The Gunners remain a team in transition and maybe their fans, on reflection, will reluctantly admit they were a little harsh on the Spaniard.

Emery, having won trophies at Sevilla and PSG, was left hurt by that experience but he bounced back with further Europa League success.

Every top manager wants to test themselves in the Premier League because it’s the best league in the world and perhaps in Emery’s mind, he fell short of expectation and feels he has unfinished business.

Emery will have been sold by the long-term vision and plans to take Newcastle back to the very top of the English and European game but the short-term is more important right now.

The 49-year-old would take over a club 19th in the table, without a win in 10 and one that is already in danger of being cut adrift.

Whether Newcastle have the world’s richest owners or not, they are not immune from relegation, which would be a huge setback under the new ownership.

Graeme Jones, while stepping in on an interim basis, does not totally represent a fresh start. That begins when the new manager arrives.

If it is to be Emery, you can bet he will earn immediate respect from a playing squad that needs inspiring.

Should Emery guide United out of this mess then the new owners will have already made their biggest signing of the season.

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