Johan Manzambi to undergo Aston Villa medical on Thursday | OneFootball

Aston Villa are set to finalise their biggest signing of the summer, with Switzerland international midfielder Johan Manzambi scheduled to undergo a medical on Thursday.

The 20-year-old breakout star has agreed to a five-year contract at Villa Park, delivering a major transfer blow to Newcastle United, who had previously struck a club-to-club agreement with Freiburg for the player.

While the path is now clear for the medical, the transfer was thrown into unexpected doubt earlier this week following Aston Villa’s landmark commercial announcement.

The Midlands club unveiled a record-breaking £20 million-a-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, which immediately raised concerns within Manzambi’s camp.

Manzambi was born to parents from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Given the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC—where the Rwandan government has faced international criticism and allegations over its involvement—his representatives were deeply uncomfortable with the optics of the player wearing the Visit Rwanda brand.

For a brief period, Manzambi’s camp felt blindsided by the timing of the announcement, leading to frantic internal discussions and fears that the transfer could collapse.

However, the deal is now back on track and progressing toward completion. For manager Unai Emery, landing the ‘special’ Manzambi is a major coup.

Villa’s midfield was left in urgent need of reinforcement following Youri Tielemans’ move to Manchester United and Amadou Onana’s long-term ACL injury during the World Cup.

Manzambi’s elite, press-resistant, box-to-box qualities and tactical versatility make him an outstanding addition for Villa as they prepare for a return to Champions League football.