Johan Manzambi: Newcastle set to lose Switzerland World Cup hero to Aston Villa
Newcastle agreed a £49m deal to sign Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi but Aston Villa have matched that offer; the Switzerland star's preference is to move to Villa with Champions League football the key factor
Monday 13 July 2026 17:20, UK
Newcastle believe they are set to miss out on the signing of Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa.
The Switzerland international's preference is understood to be Villa, who have offered to match the £49m deal Newcastle verbally agreed with Freiburg.
The offer of Champions League football is said to have been a key motivator behind Manzambi's decision to opt for Villa.
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The 20-year-old had verbally agreed personal terms with Newcastle but was waiting until after Switzerland's World Cup was over before making a final call on his future.
Switzerland were knocked out by Argentina in a 3-1 quarter-final defeat after extra-time.
Newcastle had been cautious about rival interest in Manzambi after missing out on Victor Munoz earlier this summer.
They felt they had a deal in place with Osasuna and had got the wheels in motion for the winger to have a medical before Liverpool swooped in at the last minute.
It follows a similar trend to last summer, when Newcastle were beaten to the signings of Hugo Ekitike by Liverpool and Benjamin Sesko by Manchester United.
Villa set to lose Tielemans to Man Utd in £36m deal
Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for a fee in the region of £36m.
Sky Sports News understands the midfielder has a release clause in his contract that is being triggered by United.
Discussions are advancing quickly after Belgium's exit from the World Cup.
Tielemans, 29, has been at Villa since 2023, when he joined on a free transfer from Leicester City, and has made 134 appearances for the club, scoring 10 times.
Aston Villa are losing another key midfielder in Tielemans shortly after Amadou Onana ruptured his ACL at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old, who was injured in Belgium's last-16 win over the USA, is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
Belgium team doctor Brahim Hacene said: "Unfortunately, the medical examinations have confirmed that Amadou has suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This is devastating news, both for him personally and for the team.
"We immediately consulted with Amadou and with Aston Villa to agree on the best approach to his recovery.
Juventus make initial contact with Villa over Martinez
Juventus have made initial contact with Aston Villa to register their interest in signing Emiliano Martinez.
Sky Sports News understands Juve have not yet made an offer and Villa have not indicated a price for the goalkeeper.
A source close to the situation believes Juventus are currently undervaluing the player and their view of the price is more like that of a League One goalkeeper than a World Cup winner.
Aston Villa consider Martinez among the best goalkeepers in the world and of Champions League level.
Martinez, who still has a contract until 2029 at Villa, has the chance to lift the World Cup for a second successive time this summer, with a quarter-final against Switzerland coming in days.
