Aston Villa has secured the signing of attacking midfielder Johan Manzambi from Freiburg, the Premier League club confirmed on Friday. The Switzerland international earned widespread recognition during the recent World Cup, finishing as his nation’s top scorer.
Manzambi played a pivotal role in Switzerland’s historic World Cup campaign, netting three goals and assisting twice as the team advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954. Their run ended with a 3-1 defeat to Argentina.
From Bundesliga to Premier League
After joining Freiburg’s youth academy in 2023, Manzambi quickly progressed to the senior squad just سنة later. In total, he made 58 appearances for the Bundesliga side, scoring nine goals along the way. His contributions were instrumental as Freiburg reached their first major European final, ultimately finishing as runners-up to Aston Villa in the Europa League.
Upon signing, Manzambi was assigned the No. 44 shirt, the same number he wore when facing Villa during the Europa League final in Istanbul, the club announced in an official statement.
Aston Villa will kick off their Premier League season against Brighton on August 23, with Manzambi expected to add fresh attacking options to the squad.