Aston Villa have reached a full agreement to sign Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi after hijacking Newcastle United’s move for the Switzerland international.
According to a fresh update from Fabrizio Romano, Villa have agreed a fee understood to be worth slightly more than €60m, with personal terms on a long-term contract also settled with the 20-year-old’s representatives. Sky Sports reports Villa matched a £49m deal Newcastle had already agreed with Freiburg, with the lure of Champions League football under Unai Emery said to be the key factor in Manzambi’s decision.
Newcastle Left To Count Another Missed Target
Manzambi becomes the 10th player Newcastle have missed out on signing since the summer of 2024, according to Sky Sports, with nine of those players joining Premier League rivals instead — including Victor Muñoz’s move to Liverpool earlier this summer.
Newcastle had verbally agreed personal terms with Manzambi, but the midfielder waited until after Switzerland’s World Cup run before committing to his future. David Ornstein first confirmed Villa’s hijack of the deal, before Romano reported the full agreement on Monday morning.
The move follows an exchange between Manzambi and Emi Martinez after Argentina’s World Cup quarter-final win over Switzerland, with footage showing the Villa goalkeeper asking the midfielder directly whether he was “going to Villa”.
Manzambi, who scored three goals and provided two assists in four appearances for Switzerland at the tournament, is expected to fill the void left by Amadou Onana’s serious knee injury as Emery looks to rebuild his midfield options before the new season. A medical and formal announcement are expected in the coming days.
