Is Aston Villa boss Unai Emery sending a message to Manchester United at Ballon D'Or awards?

He may be at the top of many Manchester United fans’ wishlist to be the new boss at Old Trafford, but Aston Villa manager Unai Emery looked to displaying his loyalties close to his heart as he arrived at the Ballon D’Or Awards in London.

The Spaniard, the toast of Villa fans after he led them to Europa League glory and secured Champions League football again last season, has been nominated for the world’s top coach award for his stellar achievements.

The 54-year-old has just marked four years in the hot-seat at Villa Park on Saturday - and celebrated by masterminding a superb victory over Premier League leaders Manchester City.

And his stunning record with Villa has seen him continually linked with other jobs - most recently the Old Trafford head coach role, should under-fire boss Michael Carrick get the sack after the Red Devils’ latest humiliation on Sunday.

Carrick has been the subject of fierce speculation on his future after a 4-1 drubbing by Como in the Champions League last week before seeing his side capitulate 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday.

And while Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte are the bookies’ favourites should Carrick be axed, a poll of United fans put Emery as the man most would choose to replace Carrick.

Emery, however, has stated his happiness with the job his doing at Villa - and claret and blue fans too heart from pictures of him arriving at Monday night’s awards in central London.

The Villa boss arrived on the red carpet wearing a black suit adorned with the Villa club crest.

And asked by interviewer Guillem Balagué - who wrote the book Rise Of The Villans on the club’s renaissance under Emery and who has a close relationship with the Villa manager - ‘”Is this a new suit?”, the Villa boss replied: “Yes it is a new suit, it’s an Aston Villa suit.

“I am pleased as it is comfortable and as well it is something that makes us proud.”

And asked about his nomination as coach of the year, Emery continued: “I worked to be here. Of course, grateful to all the coaches that were working with me, all the players that worked with me, and now especially Aston Villa, because Aston Villa is where I am feeling so, so comfortable and well, improving, improving in my career as a coach.”

Emery was eventually pipped to the coach of the award by World Cup-winning Spain boss Luis de la Fuente – but his display captured the hearts of Villa fans.