Why Newcastle target Manzambi is in demand

Johan Manzambi mapped it all out.

The determined midfielder had his sights set on the 2026 World Cup before he even made his debut for Freiburg or won his first senior cap for Switzerland.

Manzambi was therefore never going to just settle for a place in the squad once he got there.

The 20-year-old instead relished this grand stage as one of the tournament's breakout stars.

In truth, manager Murat Yakin had little choice but to start him after he came off the bench and scored a double against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland's second group game.

Manzambi went on to repay Yakin's faith with a goal and an assist on his full World Cup debut versus Canada and by setting up his side's opener in the round of 32 victory over Algeria.

Manzambi missed Switzerland's subsequent last 16 win against Colombia due to a knee injury and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to feature versus holders Argentina in the quarter-finals.

But he has already made history after becoming the youngest player to chalk up five goal involvements at a single World Cup since records began.

It feels like this is just the start for the Newcastle United target as close friend Yann Sturm suggested.

"I'm sure we will be hearing a lot more from him over the coming years," he said.

It has been quite a rise.

But Manzambi's thirst to get better quickly caught the eye at Freiburg as he rose through the ranks following his move from Swiss side Servette in 2023.

After one particularly draining training session with the reserves went on far longer than planned, Manzambi even asked the then Freiburg II manager Benedetto Muzzicato if he could go over the game plan again because it "didn't feel right".

"He wants to improve every single day," Muzzicato said. "If anything, you have to slow him down rather than motivate him."

This mentality has been a constant throughout his burgeoning career and helps explain why Manzambi was on the radar of clubs long before the World Cup started.

He was a key cog in the Freiburg side who reached the Europa League final for the first time ever last season and followed in the footsteps of Rayan Cherki and Florian Wirtz by being named the competition's young player of the season.

It was Manzambi's first full campaign as a starter yet he racked up 13 goal involvements, including stunning long-range efforts against Bayern Munich and Braga in the Bundesliga and Europa League respectively.

Manzambi's ball-carrying, close control and ability to make things happen all stood out, as did his versatility.

The Swiss has played in a variety of roles for club and country in the middle of the park, but he has the attributes to potentially excel as a box-to-box midfielder.

The data certainly suggests so.

Among players in the Bundesliga in his position, in 2025-26, Manzambi ranked first for 10-plus metre progressive carries (116), shot ending carries (13) and fouls won (78) as opponents tried to stop him.

He was second for total take-ons (71), opposition half take-ons (52) and total carry progress (2,476 metres).

Manzambi is far from the finished article but, fuelled by a "very healthy and positive drive", in the words of Muzzicato, he will want to build on an impressive campaign.

"I remember knowing right after Johan's first touch that he was something special," he added.

"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."

Newcastle have targeted hungry players of a similar age this summer as part of their rebuild.

The club have signed winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £43m and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims for around £18.5m.

They are also closing in on Ajax midfielder Sean Steur in a deal worth up to £23m.

The trio are all aged 20 and under and, following a series of knock backs in the transfer market in the last year, it felt significant they were keen on making the move to St James' Park.

Could Manzambi follow suit?

Freiburg are in a strong negotiating position following his performances at the World Cup, but Newcastle have the headroom to reinvest within the financial rules after selling Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee potentially rising to £100m.

The club would also be able to offer Manzambi the platform to develop further with regular first-team football.

The next couple of weeks feel significant.

Manzambi, who changed representatives in the build up to the window, has made it clear in interviews he will address his future after the World Cup.

He has certainly not let the growing interest distract him, which won't come as a surprise to Luigi Pisino, who coached him at Servette's academy.

"He's someone with his feet on the floor," he said. "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. 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."

Newcastle are not the only interested party, of course, and the club have been here before.

They thought a deal had been finalised for Victor Munoz when Liverpool emerged out of nowhere to sign the forward from Osasuna earlier this summer.

Hope remains, but there is still a degree of caution surrounding this pursuit as a result.

"A lot of clubs have already shown interest in him," said Sturm, who also came through at Freiburg.

"I'm convinced he will make a great next move."

Additional reporting by Mani Djazmi