Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher doesn't think Unai Emery can achieve his Champions League dream at Aston Villa

Jamie Carragher claims Unai Emery cannot win the Champions League with Aston Villa and should therefore take a job elsewhere to prove himself "at an absolute giant of a football club."

What Carragher appears to suggest is that Emery would have a better chance of winning the Champions League at a club with more money to spend. But that cannot be proven, and it also ignores the Spaniard's record in European competition with the clubs he has managed.

At Villarreal, he reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2022, before Villa were knocked out by eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals two seasons ago.

Had it not been for an inspired goalkeeping performance from Gianluigi Donnarumma and a goal-line clearance in the final minute of the second leg, Villa would have taken PSG to extra time, with the momentum behind them as they looked to reach the semi-finals and face Arsenal.

In fact, beyond Villarreal, the likes of Ajax, Tottenham, Monaco, Roma and RB Leipzig have all reached the Champions League semi-finals in the past decade.

Villa have an outstanding record in Europe under Emery, boasting a 73% win rate after playing their 44th match last week against Viking FK. Their Champions League record now stands at 11 wins from 15 games.

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At PSG, one of the giants Carragher refers to, Emery failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in either of his two Champions League campaigns. At Arsenal, he managed in the Europa League in both of his seasons, losing the final in his only full campaign in charge at the Emirates.

In contrast, he won all three Europa League finals he contested with Sevilla before beating Freiburg in May to end Villa’s 30-year wait for silverware, claiming his fifth Europa League title after also beating Manchester United as Villarreal manager in 2021.

The idea that Emery must manage a club with greater resources to win the greatest prize in club football, then, does not necessarily stand up.

Emery’s success at Villa has been built on the environment and culture he has created at Bodymoor Heath. He is the best coach in the Premier League, improving players and delivering results because he has not only earned their full commitment and respect but also enjoys full power and control at Villa.

Nassef Sawiris gave Emery a blank canvas within the financial parameters in which the club can operate. Mateu Alemany, who was due to be appointed president of football operations, warned Emery that he would face restrictions because of the club’s limited revenue. Emery did not mind.

He knew what he was signing up for at Villa, but, more importantly, he understood what he could build. And he has done just that.

He would be foolish to trade all of that for the poisoned chalice that is Old Trafford - or for any other club searching for a new manager, for that matter.

Carragher, though, believes Emery will have an itch to scratch at a “giant” club and will want to prove himself at one.

“He is a manager I look at when I think about Manchester United," he said on Sky Sports. "I think Emery is the best manager in the Premier League. But I've got this thing with him.

“Yes, his record in the Europa League is amazing, but surely somebody who is that successful wants to be known in the Champions League. He wants to win the Champions League. He's not going to do that at Aston Villa.

"He's had two experiences that haven't gone particularly well for him, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. And I just think surely he would want that opportunity to prove himself at an absolute giant of a football club. Sorry, Villa fans."

Back in December last year, Emery outlined his dream, and admitted that he was getting closer to achieving it.

“Dreams are free. Everyone has to dream. I have my dream and I am here getting my dream,” he said. “My huge dream here or as a coach is to win the Champions League. That is my dream, all my life.

“But 20 years ago I started as a coach, in League One in Spain. Speaking now in my progression as a coach, I am a privileged man to manage the level I have.

“I am feeling proud of everything I did but also I have a huge responsibility to the club, the supporters, the players and the owners. The level I am, my dream is still to win the Champions League.

“I don’t know if I can have again this opportunity. Last year, we played quarter-final. Four years ago we played semi-final. I am getting close!”

Is it more likely that Emery could win the Champions League at a club like Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich? Possibly, yes, but his record at PSG, where he had plenty of star players, and at Villarreal does little to support that argument.

Equally, we're talking about Man United. The state of that club, and the mess it's in, stands in stark contrast to what Emery has built at Villa. It would take years to achieve what he has at Villa at United, if it were possible at all.