Aston Villa transfer news via BirminghamLive: Unai Emery has been impressed with Tyrone Mings and will address his future as the season nears its conclusion
Unai Emery says he has spoken to Aston Villa’s decision-makers about Tyrone Mings’ future but the club is yet to offer the center-back a new deal.
Mings, 29, will have just 12 months remaining on his contract at the end of this season with his future currently put on the back burner. The defender has been in the inspired form under Emery and has started – and completed – the last 16 Premier League games as Villa have climbed the table from 17th to within three points of sixth since Emery’s appointment.
At the start of the season, Mings had the captaincy taken off him by then-boss Steven Gerrard while he was on the bench in Villa’s first game at Bournemouth.
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Mings, meanwhile, said of Emery’s methods: “I’m being exposed to a whole new different way of coaching – not better or worse – just different. It’s the first foreign manager I’ve worked under – I don’t think Mick McCarthy counts – and his coaching staff has such impressive attention to detail that I’m learning every day.
“That’s what you want. If you are focused on absorbing information and trying to improve when you have people around who are pushing that and you are able to soak it up, I think it’s really key for me at this stage of my career.
“Most of the games I’ve had in the Premier League, I’ve been learning on the job. I’d only played about 20 games at center-back when I joined Villa. Now I’m getting a sense of what an elite center-back should be.”
“He’s working every day,” Emery said of his star defender’s recent form. He’s very dedicated. He’s a wonderful person and a fantastic professional. We’re trying to get the best out of him. He’s trying and doing his best.
“I know his contract is finishing not this year but next but I am very happy with him. His dedication to how we can improve and how he can improve, as well as his willingness to be demanding, is evident. Hopefully, we can get a good performance from everyone and Tyrone against Leicester as well.”
