Who is Johan Manzambi? Age, club, position and stats

Johan Manzambi is a 21-year-old Swiss midfielder who joined Aston Villa from Freiburg in July 2026. He has two goals and three assists in seven Premier League games this season and scored three times at the 2026 World Cup for Switzerland.

Who is Johan Manzambi?

Johan Kula Manzambi is a Geneva-born Swiss central midfielder who came through the Servette academy, moved to Freiburg and became a key figure in the Bundesliga side’s run to the 2025-26 Europa League final before signing for Aston Villa in July 2026. Sky Sports, as cited by Wikipedia, reported a club-record fee of 59.5 million pounds including add-ons; that is a media report, not a club statement. He also scored for Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup.

Age, club and position

He was born on 14 October 2005, so he is 21 as of 11 November 2026. He plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League, wears number 44 and, according to FotMob, is contracted until 30 June 2031. The move from Freiburg on 17 July 2026 is a permanent transfer. He injured a knee in training before Switzerland’s World Cup round of 16 tie with Colombia and missed the rest of the tournament; he is back playing regularly in the league but we found no current fitness report.

He is right-footed and listed as a midfielder, and the profile points to the zone between a holding midfield role and a number ten. No tracking data are public, so the half-space reading is an inference from the profile.

This season’s numbers against last

FotMob has him at 7 Premier League appearances in 2026/27, 6 starts, 467 minutes, 2 goals, 3 assists and a 7.52 average rating. Wikipedia adds one League Cup appearance and two Champions League games with a goal, so 10 appearances and 3 goals in all competitions. UEFA’s own page showed one Champions League game and a goal, probably an earlier snapshot.

At Freiburg last season he scored 5 in 27 Bundesliga games, none in five cup games and 2 in 15 Europa League matches, 7 in 47 in total. Five league contributions in 467 minutes this year is a faster rate than last season, albeit a small sample. For Switzerland he has 20 caps and 7 goals, 12 caps and 4 goals of those in 2026.

Career path and Switzerland

His Freiburg debut came on 21 August 2024, a 3-0 league defeat at Heidenheim, and his first goal on 12 April 2025 in a 2-1 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. On 7 May 2026 he scored in the 3-1 Europa League semi-final second-leg win over Braga that took Freiburg through 4-3 on aggregate; Freiburg then lost the final 3-0 to Aston Villa. He was named UEFA Europa League Young Player of the Season.

At Villa he made his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on 12 September 2026 and scored his first goal a week later in a 3-2 win over Tottenham. For Switzerland he debuted against Mexico on 7 June 2025 in a 4-2 win and scored three days later in a 4-0 friendly win over the USA. At the 2026 World Cup he came off the bench to score twice in the 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, scored and assisted in the 2-1 win over Canada and was named man of the match, and assisted in the 2-0 round-of-32 win over Algeria before the knee injury ruled him out.

What kind of player is he?

The documented matches point to a midfielder who contributes both goals and final passes: a semi-final goal against Braga, the first Villa goal against Tottenham, a goal and an assist against Canada. A 7.52 average rating across six starts says he has settled quickly. We have no verified passing or carrying data, so we will not label him box-to-box or advanced eight; he reads as a goal-and-assist midfielder with positional flexibility.

Strengths and areas to improve

• Output: two goals and three assists in seven league games.
• Big-stage record: Europa League, World Cup and Premier League contributions.
• Continuity: six starts in seven league appearances.
• Growth area: workload and consistency after the World Cup knee injury and the step up in competition level.
• Data gap: no verified advanced numbers.

How he looks in Football Manager 2027

This is game data, not a real-world performance indicator. Football Manager 2027 lists him at Aston Villa as a defensive midfielder and central/attacking midfielder (DM, M/AM C), matching real club and role. The game’s high potential rating is the developers’ projection.

Could he suit a Turkish Süper Lig side?

A Süper Lig transfer is not financially realistic today. Villa paid a reported 59.5 million pounds including add-ons in July 2026 and he is signed to 2031, so no Anatolian club is in range and we name none. A goal-and-assist midfielder would suit tempo-heavy sides in theory, but that is a possible tactical fit, not a confirmed talk.

GegenSports view

The data show a 21-year-old who has produced in the Europa League, at the World Cup and in the Premier League. The current performance profile makes his first Villa season worth watching, but 467 minutes and missing advanced data keep the verdict open. This piece rests on public numbers, not a transfer claim.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Johan Manzambi?

Born on 14 October 2005; 21 as of 11 November 2026.

Where is Johan Manzambi from?

Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss, with parents from Angola and DR Congo.

Which club does Johan Manzambi play for?

Aston Villa in the Premier League, number 44, contract to 2031 per FotMob.

What position does Johan Manzambi play?

Right-footed central midfielder, between holding midfield and number ten.

What are Johan Manzambi’s stats this season?

FotMob: 7 Premier League games, 6 starts, 2 goals, 3 assists. Wikipedia: 10 apps, 3 goals in all competitions.