Johan Manzambi tipped to make next step after two Villa seasons
Bernhard Weis, who coached Johan Manzambi at Freiburg’s Under-19 side, has told the BBC that Aston Villa was the right choice for his former player. Weis backed the Johan Manzambi Aston Villa transfer but predicted the 20-year-old Switzerland international will move to the next level after two seasons at Villa Park.
Manzambi joined Villa on a five-year contract in the summer, becoming the club’s record signing at £59.5million from SC Freiburg. Nicolas Jackson’s £65million move from Chelsea has since taken that mantle, but Manzambi remains one of the most significant deals of Unai Emery’s rebuild.
Bernhard Weis reveals BBC comments on Manzambi transfer path
Weis explained his thinking to the BBC, setting out why he believes Villa Park suits Manzambi’s development at this stage of his career.
“I think Aston Villa is the right club for him. He will play every time when he is fit and that’s the right way. Then I think he plays two seasons at Villa and then he goes to the next step,” Weis said, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.
Weis also reflected on the interest that surrounded Manzambi after his World Cup performances. “After the World Cup I said he must go to the Premier League. Bayern Munich were mentioned, he didn’t go to (Borussia) Dortmund, (Bayer) Leverkusen. It’s the right way,” he added.
Those comments reflect Weis’s own reading of his former player’s path. They are not a confirmed position from Villa, Emery or Manzambi himself on any future move.
How Manzambi fits into Unai Emery squad structure at Villa Park
The Johan Manzambi Aston Villa deal made headlines over the summer, and his early performances have started to justify the outlay. He scored on his full debut in a win over Tottenham, just before the September international break, giving Villa fans a first glimpse of what persuaded Emery to break the club’s transfer record.
Manzambi scored three goals in four matches for Switzerland at the World Cup, form that underlined why Villa moved so decisively for him. That form was then interrupted when he suffered a knee injury during the tournament. More on his decision to join Villa is available in our earlier coverage.
Ballon d’Or nomination and upcoming fixtures for Aston Villa
Manzambi’s form has not gone unnoticed at the highest level. He has been shortlisted alongside Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal for the young talent of the year prize at next month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, a notable honour this early in his Villa career.
The nomination follows a productive spell on international action with Switzerland, where he also found himself facing club teammate John McGinn, who turned out for Scotland.
For now, the priority for Manzambi and Emery is regular Premier League football at Villa Park. Weis’s own timeline suggests supporters have plenty of time to enjoy him before any next step arrives.
