Manzambi, 20, had already attracted interest before the World Cup, but his displays as Switzerland reached the quarter-finals made him one of the most sought-after players on the market. All necessary agreements are understood to be in place for a deal worth up to £60m, with a medical scheduled for the back end of this week.
Swiss players returned from North America on Tuesday, with Manzambi set for a brief trip back to Germany before leaving current club SC Freiburg for the West Midlands.
Aston Villa had been tracking Manzambi since the Spring and hoped to table a formal offer before the tournament, but were told the midfielder wanted to wait until after the World Cup before deciding his future. Newcastle United had pushed hard to get a deal done before Switzerland's extra-time exit to Argentina, agreeing a package in the region of £49m with Freiburg, but the delay left them exposed to a late intervention.
Villa's interest was sharpened by Amadou Onana's ACL injury and Manchester United's pursuit of Youri Tielemans, both of which threaten to leave Unai Emery's midfield short of options. Persistent interest in Morgan Rogers from elsewhere adds to the club's need for reinforcements in attacking areas of midfield, reports The Sun.
Manzambi finished last season with seven goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga and helped Freiburg reach the Europa League final, where they were beaten by an Emery side that has since gone on to secure Champions League football. Born in Geneva, Manzambi came through the Servette academy before joining Freiburg's youth setup in 2023, and became the youngest player in over 60 years to record five goal contributions at a single World Cup, having scored three times and set up two more in Switzerland's run to the last eight.
The lure of working under Emery, along with the prospect of Champions League football, is understood to have been decisive in persuading Manzambi to snub Newcastle in favour of Villa Park. Villa's summer business already includes the arrival of Manzambi as they aim to build on last season's run to Champions League qualification.