Unai Emery has appeared to dismiss the possibility of leaving Aston Villa for another club for the foreseeable future.
When Emery arrived at Villa Park almost 13 months ago, he was taking over a side that were candidates to be relegated to the Championship.
Since then, the Spaniard has recorded 29 wins from 47 matches, securing Villa a place in the Europa Conference League and putting them in contention for the Premier League title.
Sitting just two points adrift of leaders Arsenal, the West Midlands outfit will be regarded as dark horses to extend their excellent start into the new year and beyond.
However, the flip side to Villa's remarkable progress under Emery is interest from elsewhere, with the 52-year-old naturally being linked with positions that may become vacant.
© Reuters
Some of the teams in question are of higher profile than Villa, already competing in the Champions League and Europa League, yet it appears that any approach for his services will be rebuffed.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Wednesday, the former Sevilla, Arsenal and Villarreal boss indicated that he wants to evolve the project that he is overseeing at Villa.
Emery said, as quoted by The Athletic: "I'm always trying to be better tomorrow than I am today and today than I am yesterday.
"I carried my career on as a coach in Spain then had an opportunity to come back to the Premier League.
© Reuters
"I'm always trying to understand football and how it is improving and how I can learn and add more things in my back as a coach. Hopefully I can stay here for a long time because we have a very good challenge with Aston Villa, thinking and developing a lot as a club, with players and as a coach myself."
Emery was talking ahead of Villa's Europa Conference League encounter against Legia Warsaw on Thursday night, Villa needing just a point to guarantee their place in the knockout stages.
However, a two-goal triumph over the Polish giants will ensure that Villa finish top of Group E and progress through to the last 16, rather than last 32.
Villa head into their next fixture on the back of three successive wins, the most recent coming by a 2-1 scoreline at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
