Newcastle Seal €60m Deal for Switzerland Star Johan Manzambi

Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Freiburg to sign Johan Manzambi for a fee of €60 million, with the Switzerland international set to become the latest young talent to join Eddie Howe’s project at St James’ Park. broadcaster Sport Deutschland report that the Magpies have beaten Aston Villa to the 20-year-old’s signature, with the Villans forced into the market after Amadou Onana’s serious knee injury. Manzambi is expected to sign a long-term contract on Tyneside. Manzambi enjoyed a breakout season in the Bundesliga last term, racking up seven goals and nine assists across all competitions. He carried that form into the World Cup, scoring three times and adding two decisive passes in just over 200 minutes before a knee injury ruled him out of Switzerland’s dramatic last-16 penalty shootout victory over Colombia. Despite being deployed in a deeper midfield role at Freiburg at times, Manzambi’s attacking instincts have caught the eye. He is seen not as a direct replacement for Sandro Tonali – who joined Tottenham for £92.5 million (€107m) – or Bruno Guimarães, who is pushing for a move to Arsenal, but rather as a more natural alternative to Joe Willock or Joelinton. “At Freiburg, Johan Manzambi was the best player on the pitch. At all times,” Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy told sources. “His mentality is elite in a world where tactics are more important than ever. He would ask his coaches for extra detail and longer individual sessions to get better. His €60m fee obliterates Freiburg’s record sale, but it could be a bargain for Newcastle. Manzambi can do absolutely everything in midfield, as he showed in the Europa League and the World Cup against the kind of opponents he’ll face week in, week out for the Magpies.” Newcastle have shifted their transfer strategy toward signing emerging young talents, and in Manzambi they believe they have struck gold. The player remains focused on Switzerland’s World Cup campaign for now, but the move to the Premier League is all but done.