Johan Manzambi has scored six goals in 16 games for Switzerland - including three at the World Cup
It is a new era for Aston Villa - and Johan Manzambi will be one of the poster boys.
After ending a 30-year wait for a trophy with May’s Europa League triumph, Villa have broken their transfer record to sign the Switzerland midfielder in a deal worth more than £50m from Freiburg.
Newcastle were close to signing Manzambi last week only for Villa to step in and snatch him.
With Youri Tielemans joining Manchester United for £35m and Amadou Onana out with a knee injury until next year, Villa needed to bolster their midfield options.
They are also due to seal a £38m move for Wolves’ Joao Gomes - but it is 20-year-old Manzambi who represents the start of something different at Villa Park.
While Newcastle were hopeful of landing one of their top targets, their interest was always laced with caution.
Those close to the Magpies were surprised at why the confidence was not absolute - but after losing out to Liverpool for Víctor Munoz, having also seen Hugo Ekitike go to Anfield last year, Newcastle were nervous.
Their fears proved well founded as Manzambi wavered and Villa pounced.
He was being coveted by more than half of the Premier League and represents the start of a Villa refresh.
Manzambi had been on Villa’s watchlist since the start of last season, and there was always an expectation he would move this summer.
It is believed that Manzambi’s knee injury, which ruled him out of Switzerland’s last-16 win over Colombia and quarter-final defeat by Argentina at the World Cup, gave him time to decide his future amid Newcastle’s interest.
There is also an acceptance it was now or never for Villa as he could have been out of their price range if he moved elsewhere and succeeded, especially given the sharp rise at international level - playing just twice for Switzerland Under-21s before his senior elevation.
Having excelled in the Bundesliga and helped Freiburg to the Europa League final where they lost to Villa, the calculated risk to make him the club’s record signing is seen as one which is worth it.
His versatility - especially with Onana’s serious knee injury - makes him even more important.
Last term Manzambi - who won Europa League young player of the season - ranked first for 10-plus metre progressive carries (116) in the Bundesliga, shot-ending carries (13) and fouls won (78) as opponents tried to stop him.
He was the most fouled player in the Bundesliga and only Yan Diomande, Bazoumana Toure and Can Uzun were younger with more goals and assists in the division.
He was second for total take-ons (71), opposition half take-ons (52) and total carry progress (2,476 metres).
Last term Tielemans averaged 10 metres for his progressive carries with a total of 109, with Onana making just 75, while just three of Tielemans’ carries ended with a shot.
This was always going to be a vital summer for Villa.
After winning the Europa League and finishing fourth in the Premier League - securing Champions League football for the second time in three years - they should be in a position of strength.
Instead, Villa must trade to ensure they are compliant with the financial rules they feel have held them back.
In May they were fined 22.5m euros (£19.4m) by Uefa for a “significant breach” of its squad-cost rules for 2025 - although £12.9m is suspended.
Villa also face a restriction on the registration of new players on their squad list for the Champions League next season.
Their financial burden could be further eased by the sale of England’s Morgan Rogers, who is valued at more than £100m amid interest from champions Arsenal.
Villa will be able to sell but the financial rules make replacing their first-team stars harder.
They had the second-oldest squad in the Premier League last season and wanted to lower the overall age. It was one of the key objectives for president of football operations Roberto Olabe when he replaced Monchi last September.
Tielemans is 29 and moves to Old Trafford for pure profit after his free transfer from Leicester in 2023 while Lucas Digne, who turns 33 next week, is expected to return to Paris St-Germain.
The pair were two of Villa’s higher earners - and wages for loanees Douglas Luiz, Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho are also off the books.
Youri Tielemans scored Aston Villa’s opener in their Europa League final win over Freiburg
Evann Guessand and Leon Bailey are expected to leave and Lewis Dobbin has joined Southampton for £9m without making an appearance for the club.
That makes it easier to spend the money on Manzambi and Gomes but Villa must still walk a financial tightrope.
Emery has relied on trusted lieutenants but needs to refresh the squad, with at least one winger, two defenders and a striker wanted.
Of those at the club who started the Europa League final in May only Pau Torres, Rogers and Victor Lindelof were signed by Emery in his transformative three and a half years in charge.
There was the expectation the squad would evolve this summer - and players were braced for change - but while an extra midfield body would have been useful, Villa were not actively seeking big upheaval in the area.
Onana’s ACL injury while playing for Belgium against the USA this month shifted the plans and Tielemans’ departure accelerated them.
Villa wanted more physicality at left-back so the interest in AC Milan’s Pervis Estupinan is obvious especially when he knows Emery’s methods having played under him at Villarreal.
Emery cannot afford to wait for new recruits to get up to speed.
With a first trophy for three decades in the cabinet Villa have made the breakthrough - but they must still tread lightly.