Sturm noted that the young Swiss player drew considerable attention from numerous elite teams across Europe before Newcastle secured the lead in negotiations.
"I'm convinced he will make a great next move," he added.
Manzambi's development at Freiburg was characterized by an intense work ethic.
His former reserve team coach recalled a grueling training session where the midfielder demanded a complete walkthrough of the tactical system.
"He wants to improve every single day," said Benedetto Muzzicato, former Freiburg II manager.
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Muzzicato emphasized that managing the midfielder often required tempering his enthusiasm rather than inspiring it.
"If anything, you have to slow him down rather than motivate him," he said.
Muzzicato explained that Manzambi's technical superiority and maturity stood out from his very first appearances with the German club.
"I remember knowing right after Johan's first touch that he was something special," he said.
According to Muzzicato, the player's underlying potential, intelligence, and eagerness to learn make him an ideal acquisition for any modern manager.
"His natural talent and understanding of the game were obvious from the start. You could see it immediately.
But, as a person, he is exactly the kind of player every coach wants in their team.
He always wants to improve, asks the right questions and is eager to learn," Muzzicato said.
Luigi Pisino, Manzambi's foundational youth coach at Servette's academy, praised the player's personal groundedness and familial support system.
"He's someone with his feet on the floor," Pisino said.
Pisino added that the player's strong moral character and the lack of external pressure from his father and older brother allow him to perform with total freedom.
"He remains humble and has a lot of values, even outside of the pitch.
He's really close to his biggest brother, who was always with him, and his father as well. I think they shared a lot of values.
They support him and they don't put pressure on him.
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This is for me a big point because we see that Johan is free when he's on the pitch and he can just show his skills," Pisino said.
