Three months after beating Freiburg in the Europa League final, Aston Villa have returned to prise away their chief tormentor – and this time Newcastle United were left nursing the wound.
Villa completed the signing of Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi for a club-record fee of just over £50m, pipping Newcastle who had agreed a deal with Freiburg last week. The 20-year-old was named Europa League Young Player of the Season after scoring seven goals in 47 appearances for the Bundesliga side, including in the final against Villa in Istanbul in May – a match Unai Emery’s team won 3-0 to end a 30-year trophy drought.
“Aston Villa sign Johan Manzambi for club-record £50m, after Newcastle missed out on the midfielder.”
Manzambi, who scored three goals for Switzerland at the World Cup as they reached the quarter-finals, becomes Emery’s first summer signing. The move comes as Villa also close in on Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes for £38m, while Lucas Digne is close to rejoining Paris St-Germain as the club navigate tight finances to comply with Uefa regulations.
For Newcastle, the failure to land Manzambi is the latest in a string of rejected advances. Victor Munoz and Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool, Benjamin Sesko moved to Manchester United, Joao Pedro chose Chelsea, and James Trafford – still on Newcastle’s radar – ended up at Manchester City. “It’s hard to defend,” said Newcastle supporter Colin Mitchell. “But deep down the club is still very attractive to the right players, and we only want players who w…”
Newcastle have pivoted to younger targets, signing winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £43m – a player who had wanted to move to St James’ Park “for a long time” – along with midfielder Sean Steur and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, all aged 20 or under. Head coach Eddie Howe has stressed he wants players “desperate” to join, but after a 12th-placed Premier League finish and a squad with an average starting age older than all but five top-flight clubs, the rebuild is taking a different shape. Unlike Villa, Newcastle cannot offer Champions League football – and that, ultimately, may be the decisive factor.
