Johan Manzambi is on the verge of joining Aston Villa, according to reports.
The 20-year-old has reportedly agreed to join Aston Villa, after they matched the £49million offer made by Newcastle United. Manzambi’s choice is said to have been based around Champions League football.
It’s a big move for Aston Villa, who have already seen their midfield changed this summer. The Villans recently sold Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, while Morgan Rogers is being heavily linked with a departure.
Manzambi is a step in the right direct for Villa as they look to rebuild their midfield unit. The Swiss superstar played 47 times for Freiburg across all competitions in 2025-26, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists.
Johan Manzambi analysis:
Creative solution finder
First and foremost, Manzambi is someone who finds creative solutions in every phase of play.
Manzambi’s ability to carry the ball is excellent. As is his ability to use both feet and different parts of the boot to manipulate the ball.
He can also use his body to protect the ball, processing information from opposition contact before rolling against their momentum to escape. These qualities help Manzambi with carries both centrally, and out wide. He can turn one-on-twos or one-on-threes into one-on-ones using changes of rhythm.
Once Manzambi finds himself in the final third, he also has a variety of creative qualities around the box. The Swiss midfielder likes to look for threaded through-balls behind the defensive line.
He will often use deception to fake an extra touch in his dribble, or a shot before making this pass. Thus opening more space for the receiver.
Manzambi is also constantly looking for give-and-goes around the box. This creates separation and allows him to arrive with sustained momentum.
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Multiple-range threat
The best part of Manzambi’s game is the variety of ways in which he can hurt teams. He can play in different styles and excels over multiple ranges.
Manzambi excels over smaller and larger distances with his carries, using a good mixture of small and big touches.
This allows the Swiss midfielder to operate in tight spaces with secure touches and agility. He can then take larger touches to create seperation from the defender and attack open spaces.
It’s not just his carrying that excels over a range of distances. Manzambi’s passing has similar range.
He is constantly attuned to combination play over shorter distances, as previously mentioned, with play around the box.
Manzambi can also provide those medium range passes to circulate play and find through-balls along the floor into wide men/attackers running inside.
But he also has that eye for a longer range pass in behind. Manzambi can drop low to get on the ball and pick that pass into depth.
Now, the weight of these passes can sometimes be slightly under or over hit, also being overly looped on occasion. But Manzambi has shown the capability to find these more difficult longer-range passes successfully.
Lastly, Manzambi’s shooting also has the same variety in range as his passing and carrying.
The Switzerland international looks to test the keeper and keep them honest from range, often taking shots from outside the box.
Whether it’s outside the box or just inside, Manzambi likes to take a quick touch before his shot. It allows for a quick release with his third (or following) touch.
Manzambi also has good box instincts, having played as a striker for his country, finding pockets of space inside the box to get closer range shots off.
Duel capabilities
Manzambi also offers a lot off the ball. He uses his athleticism and physicality to impose himself out of possession and win his duels.
His ability to use his long limbs to contest duels, lunge into tackles and track runners over larger distances is very good.
The 20-year-old averaged 13.1 duels contested per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga in 2025-26. He won 6.3 ground duels and 1.5 aerial duels per 90.
The Swiss international also averaged 4.8 ball recoveries per 90, pressing well to regain possession which can then help to launch counter-attacks.
Manzambi’s athletic and defensive traits would not only help to replace Rogers, but also Tielemans in midfield.
Aston Villa can build a midfield three that can physically overwhelm teams in both the Premier League and Champions League, and Manzambi suits that as a third midfielder alongside a double pivot.
Aston Villa fit?
While Manzambi largely played as the secondary midfielder in a double pivot for Freiburg last season, he has also played as the No.10.
For Switzerland, the young star played a variety of positions further forward, including attacking midfield, right wing and even centre-forward.
At just 20 years old, Manzambi is at a point in his development where the buying team can mould him accordingly, with the young talent having the ability to play a number of roles really well.
At Aston Villa, the most likely position for Manzambi would be to replace Rogers in the No.10, becoming part of that mobile front four.
Rogers would often start through the middle, but could also play on either wing or even centre-forward, similarly to Manzambi.
Lastly, against inferior opposition, Manzambi could also play in a double pivot, playing in a more box-to-box midfield role, something Tielemans sometimes did alongside Boubacar Kamara.