Abdulhafiz TeslimNewcastle United have reached a verbal agreement to sign Freiburg and Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi but are remaining cautious as they await the conclusion of his World Cup campaign.
The Magpies have verbally agreed a deal worth around £49 million with Freiburg and are also understood to have reached an agreement on personal terms with the highly rated 20-year-old.
However, reports now suggest Liverpool have made a late move to hijack the transfer after allegedly agreeing personal terms with Manzambi, although the claims have yet to be widely confirmed by leading outlets. Everything is reportedly in place should the Reds decide to push ahead with the deal, setting up a dramatic battle for one of Europe’s most exciting young midfielders.
Despite Newcastle’s progress, club sources remain cautious and insist nothing will be considered complete until all documents are signed and the player’s World Cup involvement has ended.
Manzambi has been one of Switzerland’s standout performers at the tournament, scoring three goals—including a brace against Bosnia & Herzegovina—and providing two assists to help his country reach the quarter-finals, where they are due to face Argentina on Sunday.
The midfielder is currently a major doubt for that clash after suffering a knee injury, which also forced him to miss Switzerland’s last-16 penalty shootout victory over Colombia. Nevertheless, he has remained with the squad to support his teammates.
Manzambi attracted interest from several Premier League and European clubs even before the World Cup began after an outstanding season with Freiburg, where he scored seven goals and registered seven assists as the Bundesliga side finished seventh and reached the Europa League final.
While Newcastle have reached agreements in principle with both Freiburg and the player, the club is taking nothing for granted after learning a painful lesson earlier this summer.
The Magpies previously believed they had secured Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna and were informed that the Spanish winger favoured a move to St James’ Park. However, a late change of heart allowed Liverpool to swoop in and hijack the deal, leaving Newcastle determined not to celebrate until Manzambi’s transfer is officially completed.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
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