Former Aston Villa transfer chief Monchi has revealed he came close to joining Unai Emery at Arsenal years before the pair eventually reunited at Villa Park.
The Spaniard worked alongside Emery during one of Sevilla’s most successful periods before the manager repeatedly attempted to bring him to other clubs.
Those efforts included Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, but neither resulted in a reunion.
It was only when Emery was established at Aston Villa that Monchi finally agreed to work alongside him again.
Monchi reveals how close Arsenal move became
Monchi has now explained just how advanced the proposed Arsenal move became after Emery approached him following his departure from Roma.
Speaking in an interview covered by Sport Witness following comments published in Spain, Monchi said: “Once I had decided to leave Roma, Unai called me about going to Arsenal.”
He revealed that the move progressed to the point where contracts were being exchanged before a call from former Sevilla president José Castro changed his plans.
Monchi instead returned to Sevilla.
That decision caused some tension with Emery because both men had been enthusiastic about working together again, but their relationship survived.
Emery subsequently tried to recruit him at Paris Saint-Germain before finally succeeding at Aston Villa.
Aston Villa finally brought Emery and Monchi back together
Their eventual Villa Park reunion arrived in 2023, when Monchi became president of football operations and played a significant role in the club’s recruitment structure.
His time in Birmingham ended last year, but the relationship between the two remained central to Villa’s rise during that period.
Monchi has since returned to Spain and later moved back into La Liga football after leaving Aston Villa.
Villa’s recruitment structure has changed since his departure, but Emery continues to exert substantial influence over the direction of the squad.
That was evident again during this summer’s enormous rebuild, which left Villa with a radically different starting XI after more than £77million of Deadline Day business.
Monchi’s comments add another layer to the story of how Villa eventually brought together a partnership that Arsenal and PSG had previously failed to establish.
He also praised the development of Emery since their Sevilla years, describing the Villa manager as someone who is constantly attempting to improve.
The pair no longer work together, but Monchi’s account makes clear that their Villa reunion was the culmination of several attempts stretching back years rather than a partnership created solely at Villa Park.
