Everything you need to know about new Aston Villa signing Johan Manzambi

Villa have completed the transfer of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg

Aston Villa have signed Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi from Freiburg for a reported fee in the region of £52 million, a club record.

Villa played against Manzambi in the Europa League final and the 20-year-old was the star of Switzerland’s run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup, where they were knocked out by Argentina in his absence.

Unai Emery clearly likes what he’s learned about Manzambi and Villa have been able to gazump Newcastle United to bring the former Servette junior in as their first new signing of the summer transfer window.

The addition of Manzambi is partly the start of Villa trying to dismantle and reassemble a plane while flying and partly a result of the injury suffered by Villa midfielder Amadou Onana at the World Cup, though he is by no means a direct tactical replacement.