Aston Villa announced on Friday the signing of Swiss player Yohan Manzambi from German club Freiburg, following his impressive performances for his country at the World Cup, which caught the eye.

Manzambi had an exceptional tournament with Switzerland, topping the team's scoring list with three goals, along with two assists, helping his country reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 1954, before their run ended with a 3-1 loss to Argentina.

His journey with Freiburg

The player joined Freiburg's youth academy in 2023, and was promoted to the first team just one year later. During his time with the German club, he made 58 appearances and scored nine goals.

Manzambi also played a key role in Freiburg reaching their first major European final in history, where the team finished as runners-up behind Europa League champions Aston Villa.

The English club said in a statement: 'Manzambi will wear the number 44 shirt, the number he wore with the German team when they faced Aston Villa in the Istanbul final.'

Aston Villa had won the Europa League title after defeating Freiburg 3-0 in the final held in Istanbul last May.

Aston Villa are set to begin their new Premier League season with an away match against Brighton on August 23.