‘Outbidding Newcastle’ – Aston Villa Paying More For Johan Manzambi | OneFootball

Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Aston Villa will pay more than Newcastle United agreed to pay in order to sign midfielder Johan Manzambi from German side Freiburg.

Manzambi, who caught the eye at the World Cup with Switzerland, has been expected to move on from Freiburg this summer and it appeared Newcastle would be his destination.

Newcastle agreed a fee with Freiburg which included a fixed amount of €60m, with add-ons, and were just waiting for the green light from the player to complete the switch.

Enjoying this story?

Add Inside Futbol as a preferred source on Google.

They have been wary of a potential hijack though and now it has come, with Aston Villa pushing into the scene and Manzambi preferring a move to Villa Park to play for Unai Emery.

Now it has emerged that Aston Villa will be paying more for Manzambi than Newcastle agreed, with the Villa Park outfit ‘outbidding’ the Magpies.

Aston Villa will be paying a package of close to €70m for the Swiss midfielder, with German journalist Florian Plettenberg writing on X: “Aston Villa have reached a full agreement with SC Freiburg.

“The total package is worth almost €70m, including add-ons, outbidding Newcastle.”

Aston Villa have swung into action quickly, with an injury to Amadou Onana suffered whilst at the World Cup sure to have upped the sense of urgency to act.

The prospect of playing for Emery at Aston Villa, who can also offer Champions League football, ultimately proved to be too good for Manzambi to turn down, but Villa also showed their determination to sign him too by outbidding Newcastle.

Manzambi came through the youth ranks at Freiburg, despite being born in Switzerland, and rose to prominence in the first team.

His senior debut for Switzerland only arrived last year and his rapid rise will see Freiburg make a huge profit on him.

Manzambi saw Aston Villa’s power first hand when Freiburg were brushed aside by the Premier League club in the Europa League final last season.

Newcastle must look to deploy their financial firepower elsewhere, but there are sure to be worries at St James’ Park over how often the are having deals hijacked late on.