Johan Manzambi: Newcastle set to lose Switzerland World Cup hero to Aston Villa - becoming 10th player to turn Magpies down in two years
Newcastle United is expected to lose the signing of Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa. The player reportedly prefers Villa due to their offer of Champions League football.
Why it matters
This highlights the competitive nature of the Premier League transfer market and the influence of European competition qualification on player recruitment.
Newcastle believe they are set to miss out on the signing of Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa. <p>The Switzerland international's preference is understood to be Villa, who have offered to match the £49m deal Newcastle verbally agreed with Freiburg.</p><p>The offer of Champions League football is said to have been a key motivator behind Manzambi's decision to opt for Villa.</p><widget id="2"></widget><ul><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/TransfersSkySportsApp" target="_blank"><strong>Transfer Centre LIVE!</strong></a><strong> | </strong><a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/11678/13025496/newcastle-transfer-news-rumours-and-gossip-live-updates-and-latest-on-deals-signings-loans-and-contracts" target="_blank"><strong>Newcastle news & transfers</strong></a><strong>⚫⚪</strong></li><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/newcastle-united-scores-fixtures" target="_blank"><strong>Newcastle's 2026/27 fixtures released</strong></a></li><li><strong>Not got Sky?
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in