Johan Manzambi bears a resemblance to Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha and could be a successor to Leon Goretzka at Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old has undergone a rapid transformation into a game-changing player at SC Freiburg.
Nowadays, he’s not really confined to a single role. The legendary Lionel Messi, three years his senior Pedri, and former midfield maestro Yaya Toure – they all fit this category, Johan Manzambi once said. It wasn’t always like this. «When I was a child, Manuel Neuer was my role model,» the SC Freiburg star recently revealed to Sky.
This is quite peculiar, considering the 20-year-old has been a midfielder for a long time. Yet, there was a period when Manzambi aspired to be a goalkeeper and was captivated by Neuer. «Fortunately for Switzerland, his father and brother convinced him otherwise,» the Zurich-based newspaper Tages-Anzeiger wrote last October.
Born in Geneva, Manzambi had played his seventh of what are now ten international matches for the Swiss national team shortly before his 20th birthday, scoring his third goal. This mirrored his performance four weeks prior, also against Sweden, where he came on as a substitute for just a few minutes. «He has an incredible drive to score, which I’ve rarely seen in a player,» said national coach Murat Yakin.
Yakin first nominated Manzambi after the previous season. In that season, Manzambi needed only eleven games, his first as a professional, to emerge as one of the standout performers for the Breisgau team. He contributed to an impressive four goals during this period, playing a significant role in SC Freiburg’s late surge towards a (ultimately lost) Champions League qualification spot on the final matchday against Frankfurt.
‘Exceptional in this form’: Johan Manzambi Excels at Freiburg
Just two and a half weeks after Manzambi’s debut for the Swiss senior team in June 2025, he signed a new contract with Freiburg, valid until 2030. One might think, «Again?» after all, his previous contract extension had only occurred nine months prior. However, the Sportclub had the responsibility to secure the player’s rapidly increasing transfer value prematurely. As Sporting Director Jochen Saier explained: «Johan’s development has continued consistently – which is exceptional in this form.»
Saier was by no means exaggerating. In fact, he could reiterate the same assessment today. Manzambi has evolved into an integral part of the Freiburg squad and is undoubtedly the most valuable outfield player in the team. He has played 40 competitive matches so far, with coach Julian Schuster starting him in 36 of them. Manzambi’s statistics show six goals and seven assists.
He is the latest example of Freiburg’s exemplary youth development strategy, which is viewed with great respect and considerable envy by almost all competing clubs in German professional football. At 17, SCF recruited Manzambi in January 2023 from Servette Geneva’s U18 team, on the recommendation of youth scouting director Christoph Wetzel-Veilandics. He had previously progressed through all youth levels at Servette. Manzambi continued his development at Freiburg through the U19 and second team before his immense talent made his professional debut an inevitable step.
Manzambi Has Similarities to Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha
«It’s a great package,» as Schuster puts it, that Manzambi brings as a player. He immediately impressed in senior football with a positive attitude and healthy self-confidence in his abilities. Manzambi plays bravely, is creative, and dangerous in front of goal. Thanks to his quick movements, he can dribble exceptionally well, possesses high dynamism on the ball, and covers a lot of ground. He bears some resemblance to Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha.
However, Manzambi, who works with a mental coach and, by his own admission, has become «free in his head» as a result, is also top-notch in terms of stamina and strong in duels. «Fundamentally, I’m an ‘eight,’ a box-to-box player,» he once described himself, «but I believe I can also operate on the wing and as a number ten.»
His versatility stems from his time in Geneva. At Servette, he had «played almost all positions, even as a number 9,» Manzambi stated. SCF also utilizes his high flexibility combined with his strengths. Manzambi has played numerous different positions there.
A Candidate for Bayern, a Record Departure for Freiburg?
He still has the most to learn in the role of the more attacking midfielder in a double pivot. Here, he sometimes lacks the right balance and consistent decisiveness in direct challenges. This might be surprising given his disciplinary record in the current Bundesliga season: Manzambi is second only to Mainz’s Dominik Kohr with four yellow cards and two rather unfortunate red cards.
The fact that he has already been Freiburg’s difference-maker in several appearances has, unsurprisingly, made Manzambi highly sought-after. The Swiss newspaper Blick reported in mid-March that FC Bayern Munich – possibly as a potential replacement for Leon Goretzka – and Paris Saint-Germain are showing interest. Since then, the grapevine has also added virtually all the usual top clubs from England to the mix.
With a transfer fee that is negotiable given the long-term contract, it would be a serious upset if Manzambi doesn’t eventually become Freiburg’s record departure. Currently, Kevin Schade holds that record, having moved to FC Brentford for 25 million euros in the summer of 2023. He will soon be joined by Merlin Röhl, for whom FC Everton has a buy obligation for the same sum.
Manzambi Yearns for the Champions League
According to Sky, Freiburg is aiming for a sum exceeding 30 million euros. However, at the end of September, SCF boss Saier told kicker: «We extended Johan’s contract long-term just a few months ago for a clear shared path.»
Manzambi himself recently offered a standard response: «I’m focused on Freiburg and the World Cup with Switzerland.» With the Breisgau team, he may still have the opportunity to showcase himself on a bigger stage in two finals in the DFB-Pokal and Europa League in the near future. Then comes the World Cup and, with his player profile, a guaranteed exciting transfer summer.
«I have a goal for later: to win the Champions League,» Manzambi once said in a Q&A session for Freiburg’s club media. If he wants to achieve this as quickly as possible, he currently has two options: win the European competition with Sportclub or bring his club a gigantic transfer fee.
Johan Manzambi: Performance Data at SC Freiburg
| Competitive Matches | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 2 |