Eighteen months ago, Johan Manzambi was slipping into Freiburg's academy building with a bag of dirty laundry. Today, he is one of the most talked-about young footballers in Europe — a Ballon d'Or nominee, a club-record signing, and a player who has already scored on his first full start for Aston Villa.

The 20-year-old Swiss forward only made his senior debut for Freiburg in 2024, yet he arrives in England with a Europa League Young Player of the Season award, a World Cup campaign, and a transfer fee in excess of £50 million behind him — making him the most expensive Swiss player in history, surpassing Granit Xhaka's £38.25m move from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Arsenal a decade ago.

A character as impressive as his ability

Those who worked with Manzambi in his formative years are quick to credit his character as the engine behind his meteoric rise. Bernhard Weis, the Freiburg Under-19s coach who handed Manzambi his youth debut, recalled the teenager turning up at the academy not just to train — but to do his washing.