Aston Villa join the race for Manzambi

An unexpected development is unfolding in the transfer of Johan Manzambi, one of the breakout stars of the World Cup. According to Fabrizio Romano's exclusive report, Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Freiburg's 20-year-old Swiss midfielder. The Birmingham club is reported to be holding negotiations to hijack Newcastle United's deal and get the green light from the player.

On Newcastle's side, the club-to-club agreement is in fact complete. Having agreed terms with Freiburg at a fee of around €60 million, Newcastle's move would represent the most expensive sale in the German club's history. However, the critical missing piece is the player himself: an agreement on personal terms with Manzambi has not yet been reached, and it is stated that the final say now rests with the player. According to reports, Aston Villa have renewed contact for the player, while Newcastle expect a final decision very soon.

Manzambi had captured Europe's attention with his performances at the tournament. Contributing three goals and two assists for Switzerland, the young star went down in World Cup history as the youngest player to come off the bench and score twice in a match, in the 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, a knee injury suffered in training caused him to miss Switzerland's final two matches — the Colombia tie and the quarterfinal defeat to Argentina.

Aston Villa's motivation for the player, whose contract runs until 2030, is clear. Having begun searching for midfield reinforcements following Amadou Onana's ACL injury, the Birmingham club can also use the fact that they will compete in the Champions League next season as a significant card; Newcastle, meanwhile, have no European football. In an interesting twist of fate, Aston Villa won last season's Europa League by beating Manzambi's club Freiburg in the final. The young star's decision will become clear in the coming days.

Source: Fabrizio Romano
Image: Yahoo Sports