Johan Manzambi: Ex-Aston Villa scout shares verdict on Morgan Rogers' replacement after analysing him closely
Johan Manzambi faces an extremely tall task in replacing Morgan Rogers in his first season at Aston Villa.
That is the opinion of former senior Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 20-year-old arrived at Villa Park earlier this summer in a deal worth around £50million, with Rogers completing his £117m move to Chelsea soon after.
Newcastle United had been set to sign Manzambi before Villa hijacked the deal, with the offer of Champions League football helping to win the race.
The former Freiburg youngster had an extremely impressive World Cup, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the four games he was fit to play for Switzerland.
Joao Gomes has also arrived at Villa this summer, with Youri Tielemans having joined Rogers in leaving the club.
Bryan King unconvinced by Johan Manzambi
Despite enjoying a massively successful season, Villa now appear to be in a summer of transition.
The exits of Rogers and Tielemans will be felt, and the same can be said for Lucas Digne and even set piece coach Austin MacPhee.
Villa have attempted to make exciting signings to replace them, but there will undoubtedly be a period of adaptation.
Manzambi, especially, faces a tall task in midfield as he attempts to adapt to the Premier League and replacing one of its best players, while in just his second full season of regular senior football.
"They bought the boy from Freiburg. I don't think he's anywhere near as good as Tielemans. And as for bringing in Garnacho as some part of a deal for Rogers, I can't see it," King told Football Insider.
"I think he's a very decent player [Manzambi], but I can't see how you can compare him [to Rogers]. Obviously, the money they spent on him was small compared to what they got for Rogers."
He added: "The boy from Freiburg's a good player, but World Cup, Premier League. Two different scenarios there.
"You know, you're looking at playing 30 matches a year here. So that's going to be interesting to see how he fits in, because the thing with Rogers, he had Tielemans beside him. Which would allow him to go forward."
The stats that suggest Manzambi could be up to the task
Outside of the obvious qualities that Rogers offered in and around the penalty box for Villa, his ball-carrying was arguably his most impressive attribute.
The forward would constantly be able to pick up the ball in midfield and drive forward, leaving everyone in his wake.
That is a trait that Manzambi shares, having completed 1.42 successful dribbles per 90 in the Bundesliga last season. The midfielder also took 2.19 shots and registered 0.22 expected assists per game.
Remarkably, the 20-year-old won 3.35 fouls per game and won 7.69 duels, too, suggesting that he may indeed be the midfield powerhouse that Villa need to replace Rogers.