We're delighted to welcome football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley as our exclusive columnist, he'll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Aston Villa.

Dan Plumley has insisted there are many benefits to Aston Villa potentially moving early to hand a new contract to Unai Emery in the near future.

Dan Bardell told Villa News on 5 November that he had heard "whispers" regarding a new deal for the Spaniard, with other suggestions that Manchester United could potentially make a move.

The finance expert admitted that moving early can remove any risk of an exit, with new compensation and buy-out fees likely included to stifle off any potential interest.

"There are [benefits]," he exclusively told Villa News.

"You kind of remove that risk, as you say, of someone else coming in and trying to poach a manager or as the merry-go-round continues as it always will, you're trying to get in first and while there are no other jobs on the table, you're trying to tie that person down to your club.

"It would be a smart move in that regard, and of course, there would be all sorts of things in there around compensation fees and buy-out clauses, they're becoming more standard with managers as much as players nowadays, so that will always be there in the background.

"If you're wanting to commit to a manager and a direction of travel, it can be really beneficial to go early because you can stifle off some other things that are happening in the market that you've got less control over."

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