This summer, it feels like every club in world football is looking for a midfielder – much like the striker epidemic of last year. Manchester United need a rebuild, Liverpool need change and both Champions League finalists, Arsenal and PSG need depth. Furthermore, Bernardo Silva’s inevitable departure leaves Manchester City’s midfield thin, however the general consensus is that Pep wants Elliot Anderson.
In what has been a somewhat unexpected and sudden breakthrough season for Manzambi, the Swiss player is ticking all the right boxes. He has starred this season for German side Freiburg with 7 goals and 6 assists from central midfield. His impact in the Europa League also cannot be overstated – helping Freiburg reach their first European final in their history. Domestically, he is certainly one to keep a close eye on when watching the Europa League final.
The Geneva-born superstar is also one to watch at the World Cup. The 20 year-old has already netted 10 appearances for the Swiss national team and has been included in the provisional squad. High praise from his manager also points to a likely inclusion in the starting line-up for their opener against Qatar. In an interview, Switzerland manager, Murat Yakin stated that “He has an incredible instinct for goal; I’ve rarely seen that in a player,”
Stylistically, he is mainly seen as a box to box midfielder, but at just 20 years old he possesses a remarkable versatility to his game. In an article for GOAL, German journalist, Jochem Tittmar suggested that he can play “almost any position” and from watching him myself, he has that innate ability to find the back of the net. He’s the most fouled player in the Bundesliga with 78 and that’s a testament to his ball carrying ability. An ability that, alongside his capability to find the right pass, allows him to turn defence into attack into goals, often all on his own. On top of this, he drifts out wide in possession and is also very capable of putting a cross in. Defensively he’s also solid, making 35 tackles this campaign however he’s best suited alongside a more defensively minded player.
All in all, whichever team secures the Swiss sensation will be extremely fortunate and will have to pay a large amount to bring him there. In April, Freiburg were asking for around £43m – a sum that had Bayern, PSG and Liverpool all interested. As of May though, it seems as if clubs are going to have to pay around the £55m mark for his services, and the Swiss stock is only going to keep rising.
