Newcastle United transfers: Aston Villa have hijacked Newcastle’s pursuit of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg - but it came as no real surprise this time around.
Newcastle United’s failed pursuit of Johan Manzambi, while disappointing, came as no real surprise to those behind the scenes at St James’ Park.
This is despite Newcastle agreeing a deal worth around £51million with Freiburg for the Switzerland international, with the hope of finalising the transfer after his impressive World Cup campaign.
But after Switzerland were knocked out by Argentina over the weekend, news broke that it was Premier League side Aston Villa, and not Newcastle, that Manzambi had chosen to join.
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Unlike Victor Munoz's decision to join Liverpool earlier this summer, however, there has been little sense of shock within Newcastle's recruitment team.
The Gazette understands senior figures at the club had reservations throughout negotiations that Manzambi would commit to joining Newcastle.
Those concerns only intensified as his reputation grew during the World Cup, where three goals and two assists helped Switzerland reach the quarter-finals before a knee injury ruled him out of the defeat to Argentina.
By the time Villa accelerated their interest following Amadou Onana's serious knee injury picked up while away with Belgium, Newcastle had already begun progressing alternative midfield targets.
Manzambi's decision follows an internal review into Newcastle's pursuit of Victor Munoz earlier this summer. After believing they had a deal in place to sign the Spanish winger, Newcastle were left stunned when Liverpool gazumped them to sign Munoz.
The feeling inside St James' Park was that the winger had kept Newcastle engaged before ultimately deciding to move to Anfield.
That experience naturally led to caution in Newcastle’s pursuit of Manzambi as it played out in the media. The confidence that previously surrounded the pursuit of Munoz had disappeared when it came to Manzambi.
Rather than investing further time trying to convince a player whose commitment appeared uncertain, Newcastle have quietly intensified work on alternative options.
And there was another reason Newcastle refused to chase the Manzambi deal at all costs.
Eddie Howe’s ‘non-negotiable’
Eddie Howe has long maintained that the one quality he cannot compromise on in recruitment is a player's desire to join the football club.
The Newcastle head coach previously told The Gazette about his biggest ‘non-negotiable’ when it comes to signing players.
“The big thing for me is they have to want to come and play for this great football club,” he said back in May. “That's number one.
“And in my experience, if the player has any doubt and isn't totally sure this is the right place for them, it doesn't work.
“If I look back at the most successful signings we've had here, every player has been desperate to come and put that black and white shirt on. So I think take apart all the other things. That is number one for me.”
That principle has become one of the foundations of Newcastle's recruitment strategy. But it is also becoming increasingly difficult to uphold when the club have fallen out of Europe, and several of their biggest names have either departed or are considering their futures. Convincing elite talent to buy into ‘the project’ is no longer as straightforward as it was a few years ago.
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Aston Villa: The more attractive option
Losing out to Liverpool for Victor Munoz was understandable. Losing out to Aston Villa raises more uncomfortable questions about Newcastle’s direction and place in the football pecking order.
Villa are not a traditional superpower Newcastle should expect to lose to in the transfer market. They are a club who, like Newcastle, have attempted to break into the Premier League's established elite. The difference is that Villa have continued to find ways to stay there.
So Champions League football, Unai Emery's recent record in Europe and consistent qualification for continental competition presented an attractive proposition for one of Europe's fastest-rising young midfielders.
Manzambi also got to witness Villa’s success up close after they defeated Freiburg in the Europa League final back in May.
NUFC’s transfer stance
The failed pursuit of Manzambi brings with it a sense of deja vu for Newcastle supporters after the Munoz deal fell through. But the club sees things in a different light.
While Munoz prompted difficult questions over how the club had allowed itself to be led so deep into negotiations with a player who ultimately preferred Liverpool, Manzambi showed those lessons had been absorbed. Yet the final outcome was the same.
Newcastle can argue they protected themselves from repeating the same mistake by moving on to other targets early. They can argue they refused to compromise on Howe's recruitment principles.
But the reality remains that another priority target has chosen a rival Premier League club and, ultimately, a more attractive one.
The issue for Newcastle is no longer simply identifying the right players. Their biggest challenge is convincing those players that St James' Park is the best place for them.
Convincing a handful of promising youngsters to take a chance on the club is one thing; convincing top-level players who can help take the team forward and galvanise the club and its supporters on the back of a 12th-place finish is another matter entirely.
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