SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster has admitted he hoped to keep Johan Manzambi at the club until the closing stages of the summer transfer window, before Aston Villa secured the midfielder's signature. Sport Witness reports that Schuster discussed the departure in an interview originally carried by Swiss outlet Bluewin.
Manzambi completed his switch to Villa Park on 17 July in a deal worth €60m. According to Sport Witness, the fee made the 20-year-old the most expensive Swiss footballer in history and shattered Freiburg's previous outgoing record, which had been set when Kevin Schade moved to Brentford for €25m.
Schuster explained that the club understood any interested side would face a significant financial barrier. He noted that from a coaching standpoint there is always a desire to continue working with talented young players whose performances suggest further improvement is possible.
The Freiburg manager pointed to Manzambi's displays for Switzerland at the World Cup as the catalyst that accelerated interest. Schuster suggested that strong tournament performances combined with intense media attention made a transfer inevitable once the competition concluded.
Villa brought in the midfielder as part of their summer recruitment drive. The squad has since seen considerable turnover, with several established names departing and new arrivals settling in under Unai Emery.
Looking ahead, Schuster expressed confidence that Manzambi will adapt well to English football. He described the overall situation as a success story for Freiburg despite the obvious loss of a player capable of deciding matches.
Aston Villa travel to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 19 September for their next Premier League fixture, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 UK time.
