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Fabrizio Romano drops major Johan Manzambi to Newcastle update

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Published Jul 5, 2026, 5:12 PM GMT+1

Dominic is a news journalist for Football FanCast, having graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2022, achieving a first-class honours degree in Sports Journalism.

Since leaving university, Dominic has written for websites including GiveMeSport, Football FanCast, Transfer Tavern and Sports Mole, producing a variety of content from transfer news to match previews and reviews.

Dominic has previously worked in club media, working for FC Halifax Town, as well as working for The Halifax Courier, interviewing names such as Pete Wild, Gary Johnson and Phil Parkinson. Dominic has also interviewed the likes of Gus Poyet and Dean Saunders for Football FanCast.

A Tranmere fan, Dominic particularly enjoys writing about the EFL.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has now taken to X to drop a major update on Newcastle United's pursuit of SC Freiburg star Johan Manzambi.

Newcastle will need to sign at least one new midfielder before the summer transfer window closes, with Sandro Tonali poised to join Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a mega-money deal.

Worryingly, the Magpies are also starting to become increasingly concerned about the future of captain Bruno Guimaraes, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool keen on signing the Brazil international.

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Newcastle's interest in the Freiburg star is well-known, and reporter Ben Jacobs revealing they were in advanced talks with the German side earlier this week. The need to sign a new midfielder could be exacerbated by the recent news Guimaraes may follow Tonali out the exit door.
Considering the Italian midfielder's departure is set to raise £100m, Manzambi, whose price tag is said to be around £42m, should be more than affordable for the Magpies.
The 2025-26 campaign was the first in which the maestro was a regular starter for Freiburg, and he picked up five goals and five assists in 27 Bundesliga outings. Since then, scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the Switzerland star for his "incredibly prolific" performances at international level.
The 20-year-old could be brought in as a direct replacement for Tonali. However, given that he remains relatively inexperienced, and Guimaraes could still move on, another central midfielder may be required.

Newcastle set to make bid for Johan Manzambi

According to Romano, Newcastle are poised to make an offer for Manzambi imminently, having engaged in talks with Freiburg for several days.

A bid is going to be submitted "soon", but it is unclear what sort of fee the German side would deem acceptable.

Johan Manzambi could eclipse Sandro Tonali at Newcastle

Tonali wasn't exactly the greatest of playmakers last season, recording just two assists in 35 Premier League matches, while also failing to get on the scoresheet on a single occasion.

Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali during the warm up before the match

Manzambi, on the other hand, has been tearing it up for Switzerland at the World Cup, scoring three goals en-route to the round of 16, the highest number in the squad, whereas a tally of two assists also ranks him joint-first in the squad.

Encouragingly, the Freiburg midfielder is still only 20-years-old too, which means he still has plenty of time to improve and eclipse Tonali's achievements at St. James' Park.

The Italy international picked up ten goals and ten assists in 110 games across three seasons at Newcastle, but £100m was too good to turn down, and Manzambi has proven he has what it takes to make a major impact in Eddie Howe's side.