Johan Manzambi - discussion thread

[Dogtanian]

🚨💣 BREAKING: Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa — DONE DEAL! Fee is worth almost €70m, including add-ons. Long-term contract agreed with medical soon!
@Plettigoal
 
£60m!? Really?

Do I not like this (said in the SGT style) If this is true then there is a big player on his way out. I wonder who that could be?

I don’t believe this is necessarily true. We were going to be buying players whether we sell a big player or not.

I think if we do sell Rogers it just means we will up the calibre of signings.

[PeterWithesShin]

Barry being on twice as much a week as Manzambi is why English football is fucked.

[eamonn]

The only way it would be a different price to the one agreed with Newcastle is if we agreed to restructure it to comprise a smaller fee up front with a potentially larger final fee, which may suit both parties.

Yes, I had not thought of this. But I don’t think that would help us, as the asset would still go on the accounts at the full value, and that can only be amortised over five years anyway.

A restructure would be most useful to us if we had cash flow issues, which I’m not aware we have.

Maybe someone with more accounting knowledge can shed some light?

I don't know what other reason apart from cashflow there might be ie like we had to restructure deals during Xia's reign. Edens and Sawiris pump cash into the club regularly, so I can't see it being that.

[Dogtanian]

Barry being on twice as much a week as Manzambi is why English football is fucked.

The Barry deal is a good point. That’s about £2m in the coffers.

UEFA SCR is up to December, meaning a £50m deal for Manzambi only cost us £5m + 6 mths wages in that period.

Elliot and Sancho’s wages off the books, along with the youngling savings probably pay for this deal in the current reporting period.

[cdbearsfan]

His wages are covered by Onana compo.

[Dogtanian]

His wages are covered by Onana compo.

Yeah, that is probably true.

[Somniloquism]

Isn't he injured already? Him missing the last two games was a big part in why Switzerland struggled the last two games.

[Dogtanian]

Sky Sports saying;

 “The Switzerland international's preference is understood to be Villa, who have offered to match the £49m deal Newcastle verbally agreed with Freiburg.”

But then they also called him a ‘teenager’.

[SamTheMouse]

His wages are covered by Onana compo.

Are they Indeed? That's good. In fact, it's probably just as well Onana did his knee at the WC rather than in a friendly against Walsall, which is what would inevitably have happened otherwise.

[PaulWinch again]

His wages are covered by Onana compo.

And a chunk of the transfer value -in terms of SCR.

[VILLA MOLE]

So he is an attacking midfielder ?

[Tuscans]

"He’s Johaaaaan! He’s Jooohaaaaaaan! Manzambi! Manzambi! Manzambi-i-i!"

[Tuscans]

So he is an attacking midfielder ?

Yep

[SaddVillan]

Found this in the Beeb website.

JOHAN MANZAMBI MAPPED IT A.L OUT

The determined midfielder had his sights set on the 2026 World Cup before he even made his debut for Freiburg or won his first senior cap for Switzerland.

Manzambi was therefore never going to just settle for a place in the squad once he got there.

The 20-year-old instead relished this grand stage as one of the tournament's breakout stars.

In truth, manager Murat Yakin had little choice but to start him after he came off the bench and scored a double against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland's second group game.

Manzambi went on to repay Yakin's faith with a goal and an assist on his full World Cup debut versus Canada and by setting up his side's opener in the round of 32 victory over Algeria.

Manzambi missed Switzerland's subsequent last 16 win against Colombia due to a knee injury and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to feature versus holders Argentina in the quarter-finals.

But he has already made history after becoming the youngest player to chalk up five goal involvements at a single World Cup since records began in 1966.

It feels like this is just the start for the Newcastle United target as close friend Yann Sturm suggested.

"I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more from him over the coming years," he said.

THE KIND OF PLAYER EVRY COSCH WANTS
It has been quite a rise.

But Manzambi's thirst to get better quickly caught the eye at Freiburg as he rose through the ranks following his move from Swiss side Serveette in 2023.

After one particularly draining training session with the reserves went on far longer than planned, Manzambi even asked the then Freiburg II manager Benedetto Muzzicato if he could go over the game plan again because it "didn't feel right".

"He wants to improve every single day," Muzzicato said. "If anything, you have to slow him down rather than motivate him."

This mentality has been a constant throughout his burgeoning career and helps explain why Manzambi was on the radar of clubs long before the World Cup started.

He was a key cog in the Freiburg side who reached the Europa League final for the first time ever last season and followed in the footsteps of Rayan Cherki and Florian Wirtz by being named the competition's young player of the season.

It was Manzambi's first full campaign as a starter yet he racked up 13 goal involvements, including stunning long-range efforts against Bayern Munich and Braga in the Bundesliga and Europa League respectively.

Manzambi's ball-carrying, close control and ability to make things happen all stood out, as did his versatility.

The Swiss has played in a variety of roles for club and country in the middle of the park, but he has the attributes to potentially excel as a box-to-box midfielder.

The data certainly suggests so.

Among players in the Bundesliga in his position, in 2025-26, Manzambi ranked first for 10-plus metre progressive carries (116), shot ending carries (13) and fouls won (78) as opponents tried to stop him.

He was second for total take-ons (71), opposition half take-ons (52) and total carry progress (2,476 metres).

Manzambi is far from the finished article but, fuelled by a "very healthy and positive drive", in the words of Muzzicato, he will want to build on an impressive campaign.

"I remember knowing right after Johan's first touch that he was something special," he added.

"His natural talent and understanding of the game were obvious from the start. You could see it immediately.

"But, as a person, he is exactly the kind of player every coach wants in their team. He always wants to improve, asks the right questions and is eager to learn."

IF HE'S THAT KEEN TO LEARN, IMAGINE WHAT UNAI WILL DO WITH HIM?

[Percy McCarthy]

Signing players who did well against us when their team lost a cup final is a big step up from signing players who did well against us when their team got relegated.

I can’t say I remember him doing too much in the final.

I remember him making a great tackle on Tielemans and having a decent shot.