€60m plus add-ons
Johan Manzambi joins Aston Villa – SC Freiburg receive record transfer fee
©IMAGO
Aston Villa have completed the signing of promising Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi from SC Freiburg. The 20-year-old playmaker joins Villa in a deal worth €60m plus €10m in add-ons. The transfer makes Manzambi the most expensive player ever sold by the Bundesliga club. Manzambi has signed a long-term contract with the Birmingham-based club. Aston Villa beat out Newcastle, who already had a deal in place to sign the player. “It’s a very big club in England, and they’re playing in the Champions League,” Manzambi said in a club statement. “I’ve already played against Aston Villa, and for me, it was the perfect plan.”
Market Value
J. Manzambi
Central Midfield
€50.00m
Indeed, Manzambi was part of a Freiburg side that reached the Europa League final last season. There the Bundesliga club was stopped by Villa. But Manzambi was one of Freiburg's standout players during that run. Originally signed from Swiss outfit Servette in 2023, Manzambi went through Freiburg’s academy before emerging as a star for the club last season. Playing for Freiburg, Manzambi scored five goals and five assists in 27 Bundesliga games, and added two more goals and two assists in 15 Europa League games.
The midfielder then confirmed those numbers playing for Switzerland at the World Cup. Manzambi managed three goals and two assists in four games. Only a knee bruise stopped his progress, and it would have been interesting to see whether the Swiss could have put up a bigger fight against Argentina in the quarterfinals if they had had Manzambi on the team. But that wasn’t meant to be. But the tournament highlighted Manzambi’s evolving role as a player throughout the season.
Signed by Aston Villa – What sort of player is Manzambi?
It might be a cliché. But Manzambi is a Swiss army knife. Playing predominantly as a box-to-box midfielder when he first emerged at Freiburg, Manzambi has become more attack-minded in recent months. That was most evident at the World Cup, where he played as a no.10 and even as a winger. For Freiburg, too, he was moved further up the field in the later stages of the season. Powerful and fast, Manzambi has the ability to overrun defensive lines while also keeping the ball on his foot. Those abilities make him a fantastic addition for any top club and should help his transition from the Bundesliga to the Premier League.
Stats
J. Manzambi
Central Midfield
SC Freiburg
58
9
11
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