Aston Villa are expecting to announce their new signing in the coming hours, according to Fabrizio Romano. Unai Emery was recently dealt a big blow in the form of Youri Tielemans, who was snatched away by Manchester United, who paid £36million to activate the Belgian's release clause, leaving Villa powerless.
Emery wanted a midfield overhaul this summer, but he won't have wanted to lose Tielemans, who has been key to Villa's success, with his ability to control the rhythm and tempo of games with the ball at his feet. But Villa are not going to stand still, in fact, they are about to announce the signing of a replacement.
Aston Villa preparing to announce Johan Manzambi transfer
Unai Emery
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Villa are now closing in on the announcement of the Manzambi transfer. He said on his YouTube show: "Manzambi will undergo a medical at Aston Villa in the next hours because everything has been booked for the next 24 hours, so Manzambi is ready to become an Aston Villa player. Remember, they will pay slightly more than 60million euros to Freiburg. They hijacked the deal from Newcastle and they will have their new midfielder and Manzambi will sign a five-year deal in the next hours."
Manzambi will cost more than £50million, with Villa outbidding Newcastle, who agreed a fee of £49million initially.
The midfielder impressed at the World Cup with Switzerland this summer, helping his nation reach the quarter-finals before ultimately losing to Argentina in extra-time, albeit with 10 men. The 20-year-old has also attracted attention for his form in Bundesliga, He made 47 appearances across all competitions last season, including 15 appearances in the Europa League as Freiburg reached the final, where they ultimately lost to Aston Villa.
Manzambi a versatile midfielder
Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka
Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka
Speaking this summer, Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller called for his old side to sign Manzambi, which shows the midfielder's level.
“Manzambi is a good player overall,” Muller told Magenta TV.
“For me, he's someone – and now we can make a headline – For me, he's someone that FC Bayern should take a close look at. He's a player who can play as a number 6, he can play as a number 8, he can play as a number 10. He has the number 9 on his back, so maybe we can also sell him as a striker,” The player's advisor, Michel Urscheler, added in an interview with Blue Sport: "He is very creative, which is why he stands out from the crowd. He is very unpredictable and can play in different positions. His versatility is worth its weight in gold."
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