Aston Villa have gazumped Newcastle United to the signing of Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi following his star turn for Switzerland at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Magpies had been leading the chase for the 20-year-old after reaching an agreement with the Bundesliga club, but the midfielder had not yet decided on the next destination of his fledgling career.
Manzambi has caught the eye at this summer’s World Cup, scoring three goals as Switzerland reached the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Argentina after extra time. He has made 58 appearances for Freiburg, registering eight goals and 11 assists, and played in the Europa League final against Villa last season.
Aston Villa hijack Newcastle transfer for Johan Manzambi
According to Fabrizio Romano, Villa have reached a “verbal agreement” with Freiburg to sign Manzambi for €60 million (£51.2m).
The Midlands outfit has also verbally agreed personal terms with the player, who will sign a “long-term deal”.
Villa “intensified efforts” to land Manzambi after Amadou Onana suffered a knee ligament injury while playing for Belgium at the World Cup, per The Athletic. It is claimed the youngster “favours a move to Villa Park”.
It means Newcastle have yet again missed out on a transfer target, continuing the misfortune their suffered last summer when they were gazumped by several Premier League clubs. This year they missed out on Victor Munoz, who joined Liverpool instead.
Meanwhile, The Athletic also reports that Villa have agreed to sell Lewis Dobbin to Southampton for an initial transfer fee of £9m plus add-ons. The 23-year-old forward will undergo a medical on Monday. He scored 10 goals and added eight assists in 39 Championship appearances while on loan at Preston last season.
