Aston Villa have agreed a €70m deal with Freiburg for Johan Manzambi, hijacking Newcastle United’s move for the highly-rated Switzerland midfielder.
Aston Villa have won the race to sign Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi after agreeing a deal worth €70 million, beating Newcastle United to one of Europe’s brightest young talents.
The Villans have moved swiftly to complete the transfer after Newcastle had previously reached an agreement with Freiburg worth around €60 million. However, Villa accelerated negotiations in recent days and successfully convinced both the Bundesliga club and the player to choose Villa Park instead.
Multiple reports have confirmed that Aston Villa have now agreed a €70 million package with Freiburg, with the deal entering its final stages ahead of the midfielder’s move to the Premier League.
Aston Villa have reached a full agreement with Freiburg to sign 20-year-old Johan Manzambi in a deal worth around $79.8M, per @Plettigoal.
Newcastle had a deal in place with Freiburg but not with Manzambi, who preferred Aston Villa.
The Swiss midfielder emerged as one of the… pic.twitter.com/M0oWxhotuX
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 12, 2026
Villa’s interest intensified following Amadou Onana’s knee injury, which left Unai Emery searching for a long-term replacement in midfield. The club identified Manzambi as their priority target and acted decisively to secure his signature.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Freiburg before enhancing his reputation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He played a pivotal role in Switzerland’s run to the quarter-finals, producing outstanding performances before a knee injury ruled him out of his country’s final two matches.
Manzambi remains one of Europe’s most highly rated young midfielders and is under contract with Freiburg until 2030. His composure, technical quality and maturity have attracted interest from several elite clubs throughout the summer transfer window.
🚨🚨| BREAKING: Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐋 — hijack completed, outbidding Newcastle.
Full agreement reached with SC Freiburg for a package worth almost €70m including add-ons. Long-term contract agreed, medical soon. 🟣🔵🇧🇪
[@Plettigoal] pic.twitter.com/rIANguBHgu
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 12, 2026
For Newcastle, the collapse of the move represents another frustrating setback after appearing to be in pole position for the Switzerland international. The Magpies had hoped their agreement with Freiburg would be enough, but Villa’s improved proposal ultimately turned the transfer in their favour.
Should the final paperwork be completed as expected, Manzambi will become one of Aston Villa’s biggest-ever signings and a key addition to Emery’s squad as they prepare for another campaign competing on both domestic and European fronts.
