Johan Manzambi has opened up on his decision to join Aston Villa after Newcastle United also pushed to sign the Switzerland international during the summer transfer window.
The 20-year-old eventually completed a club-record move from Freiburg to Villa Park in July, becoming one of the biggest additions of Unai Emery’s summer rebuild.
Newcastle had been firmly involved in the race. The Guardian reported during the summer that the Magpies believed they were close to landing Manzambi before Villa moved ahead of them.
Now, speaking during the international break, Manzambi has reflected positively on the path that eventually brought him to Aston Villa.
Manzambi happy with Aston Villa transfer plan
Sport Witness relayed fresh comments from Manzambi after the midfielder spoke to Swiss media about his move.
Discussing the transfer process, Manzambi said: “The plan worked out, I was happy with it.”
He also warned against believing every piece of transfer speculation surrounding a player.
Manzambi did not directly confirm how close he personally came to joining Newcastle, so his comments should not be interpreted as an explicit rejection of the Magpies.
What is clear is that Villa ultimately won the battle for his signature.
Our regularly updated Aston Villa transfer tracker details how Manzambi became one of several major additions during a summer in which Emery significantly reshaped his squad.
The midfielder’s Johan Manzambi Aston Villa profile also outlines his route from Freiburg to Villa Park following an impressive spell in Germany.
Tottenham display shows why Villa moved for Manzambi
Manzambi’s start to life in England was delayed by the knee injury he suffered during the World Cup.
He has wasted little time making an impression since returning.
The Switzerland international was handed his first Premier League start against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend and responded with a goal and an assist as Villa secured a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Manzambi described his first Villa goal as “a dream come true”.
His performance earned him our highest mark in the Aston Villa player ratings against Tottenham, while the full Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa match report showed just how influential he was in Villa’s first Premier League win of the season.
He opened the scoring before combining with Nicolas Jackson for Villa’s second.
That contribution has already left Emery with a significant decision over whether Manzambi should retain his place once domestic football resumes.
Manzambi beginning to justify Aston Villa investment
Villa made a major commitment when they moved ahead of Newcastle to secure Manzambi.
His age meant the transfer was always about more than immediate results, particularly after injury disrupted the beginning of his Villa career.
However, the early evidence is increasingly encouraging.
Manzambi has demonstrated that he can operate in several attacking roles, carry the ball at pace and contribute directly in the final third.
His breakthrough against Tottenham now gives him momentum heading into the international break with Switzerland.
Newcastle’s summer interest will remain an interesting part of the story surrounding his move.
For Aston Villa, though, the more important question is becoming how quickly Emery can turn one of his most expensive summer additions into a permanent fixture in the starting XI.
