Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is in the spotlight once again, with Aston Villa posting a harsh statement on taking legal action against the former defender

Jamie Carragher has seemingly created a storm with his latest comments on a podcast, as the player-turned-pundit has been threatened with legal action by Aston Villa.

It followed comments made by the former Liverpool defender about the club's place in the perceived soccer food chain, as he reflected on the possibility of Unai Emery moving to Manchester United as head coach.

The 48-year-old hit out at the Aston Villa fanbase in the process, which had clearly sparked frustration and anger at Villa Park, with the following action being to threaten legal action.

A statement from the club on social media platform X reads: "Aston Villa will initiate legal action against Jamie Carragher for his unacceptable insults about the Club and its fans. Aston Villa will not allow anyone to stop our ascension in English and European football. Nassef Sawiris, Chairman."

The comments that sparked the threatening of legal action came from the latest 'Stick to Football' podcast episode, where Carragher sparked some controversy in suggesting that Aston Villa head coach Emery would be willing to join Man United as an option to replace under-pressure boss Michael Carrick.

“Surely he would want that opportunity to manage a giant again,” the former Liverpool man said. “There is a chain in football, whether you like it or not.

“So Real Madrid will take Manchester United’s best player, they'll take [Cristiano] Ronaldo. There's very few above United, same with Liverpool.

"But there will be teams below Aston Villa, and they’ll take their manager, or they'll take their players, so shut the f--- up Villa fans. Aston Villa will never be Man United.”

Carragher later explained the dig at Aston Villa fans on The Overlap Daily, before the club statement about legal action had dropped, as he clarified his stance. He added: "I just think Unai Emery is the best manager in the league and if you're Man United, and you're thinking about getting a new manager, you're thinking 'well what's the best we can get'. Now I'm not saying he'll go, I'm saying if it was me, I would ask the question.

"But I am intrigued by Unai Emery in that, when you've got somebody so good as him as a manager, now whatever you say, you can't say and it's not just Villa, it's lots of other teams, but there are teams who are like the absolute elite, say like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man United. Those type of teams, I just think, I'm just interested to know, would Unai Emery ever want to manage at that level again or is he thinking 'I just run the show at Villa, I can do what I want'?

"And certain managers are good at a a certain level or certain clubs, and that's Unai Emery. Reminds me a bit of Rafa really, Rafa Benitez. So he's had his go at PSG and Arsenal, hasn't quite worked. But Seville, you know Villarreal, Aston Villa, Valencia, done really well, but I still don't think the ego of anybody, whether you're a manager or a player, and someone said 'no you're just that level', as in like brilliant manager but that's... I think your own ego would go like 'no I'm not, I can', you know what I mean?

"That was just my point and it's grown arms and legs, and then I ended up telling them to f--- off which maybe I should have probably not done but it was all in jest because they've been all over my social timeline, so when I was saying f--- off, I meant f--- off off my socials."

It remains to be see what will follow in this case, as Aston Villa's threat of legal action remains posted as a statement on social media.