Birmingham's 'Aston Villa' has made a high-profile move, officially announcing the signing of a contract with 20-year-old Swiss midfielder Yohann Mansambi. The young midfielder leaves German side 'Freiburg' to join the 'Lions' at Villa Park. The deal, reported by RBC-Ukraine citing the English club's official website, is a historic event for the Birmingham-based team.
A new club record
'Aston Villa' paid approximately 70 million euros (slightly more than 50 million pounds sterling) for the Swiss talent. This is an absolute record in the club's history. The previous achievement was set two years ago when 50 million pounds were paid for Amadou Onana. Now, the 'Lions' have set a new benchmark for spending in the transfer market, demonstrating ambitious plans for the future.
Dramatic conclusion to negotiations
The story of Mansambi's transfer is full of intrigue. The Swiss footballer was on the verge of moving to 'Newcastle'. The 'Magpies' had already fully agreed on the transfer with 'Freiburg' for 60 million euros, and the player only needed to sign a personal contract. However, the 'Aston Villa' management intervened in the situation with lightning speed, offering improved financial terms. This forced Mansambi to change his decision and choose Unai Emery's team.
For 'Newcastle', this became the second failure in the summer transfer window. Earlier, the club similarly missed out on ex-Real Madrid forward Victor Munoz, who was snatched away by 'Liverpool'.
The path to success
Mansambi is already familiar to 'Aston Villa' fans. In May, he faced the English side in the Europa League final, where the 'Lions' won 3-0. Despite the German team's defeat, the midfielder was named the best young player of the tournament. Last season, playing for 'Freiburg', he scored 7 goals and made 9 assists in 47 matches.
The increase in the player's value became evident after the 2026 World Cup. In four matches for the Swiss national team, Mansambi scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists, becoming one of the main discoveries of the tournament. He helped his team reach the quarter-finals, where the Swiss lost to Argentina 1-3 only in extra time.
