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Aston Villa have hijacked Newcastle United's pursuit of Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi, according to David Ornstein.
The Magpies recently reached a transfer agreement with Freiburg for the player, and they were optimistic of finalising personal terms too.
However, there has been a setback in the pursuit with Villa beating them to the Swiss. Manzambi has been convinced to join them with Champions League football on offer next season.
The news is a huge blow for Eddie Howe's side, who have already missed out on landing winger Victor Munoz to Liverpool this summer.
The Magpies had a poor 2025 summer transfer window, where they missed out on several of their top targets to rival league clubs.
They are facing a similar pattern in the current window, and this could have a drastic impact on the future of some first-team stars.
Club captain Bruno Guimaraes has requested to leave for Arsenal and his stance could strengthen if Newcastle don't make marquee signings.
Written by Sri Aswin
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