Aston Villa has hijacked Newcastle United's pursuit of Johan Manzambi and is close to finalizing a £49 million deal with Freiburg for the Switzerland midfielder, according to The Guardian.
The 20-year-old versatile midfielder will bolster Aston Villa's squad ahead of their return to the Champions League campaign, dealing a significant blow to their Premier League rivals.
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Newcastle executives believed they had secured a deal after traveling to Germany, having received verbal assurances on personal terms.
However, Manzambi requested to delay formal agreements until Switzerland's World Cup campaign ended, which concluded Sunday after a defeat to Argentina.
Aston Villa moved swiftly after the tournament, capitalizing on a minor knee injury that sidelined the midfielder during the competition.
Manzambi was already familiar with Villa, having faced them in the Europa League final in May.
Last season, he made 47 appearances for Freiburg, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists.
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This development adds to a challenging summer transfer window for Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who faces the potential loss of Bruno Guimarães amid interest from Arsenal.
Newcastle has already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and missed out on early target Víctor Muñoz to Liverpool.
Newcastle's recruitment strategy focuses on signing players aged 24 or under for fees ideally below £40 million per transfer.
They have spent around £80 million to sign goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims, winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, and midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax.
Howe remains anxious to balance youthful promise with experienced players after his side finished 12th in the Premier League last season.
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The club hierarchy awaits a formal offer from Arsenal for their 28-year-old captain, while maintaining long-term interest in Tottenham midfielder Archie Gray.
