Muller urges Bayern to sign £43m World Cup star also targeted by Manchester United

Bayern Munich icon Thomas Muller has urged his former club to sign Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi this summer, complicating Manchester United’s reported pursuit of the 20-year-old Switzerland international. Manzambi, valued at around £43 million, scored twice in Switzerland’s 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Muller, speaking on MagentaTV, made no secret of his admiration for the young midfielder. “He’s a good player overall. We’ve had him on our list for a while now,” he said. “For me, he’s someone, and now we can make a headline, that FC Bayern should also consider.”

The former Germany international highlighted Manzambi’s versatility as a key selling point. “You can sense his flexibility. You can also sense his carefree attitude. At the same time, you can already see a certain maturity in his actions, in his decision-making, his work ethic,” Muller added. “He’s a player who can play as No.6, he can play as No.8, he can play as No.10. He wears No.9 on his back, so maybe we could also market him as a striker!”

Manzambi himself was visibly overwhelmed by his World Cup brace. “Honestly, it’s incredible — it’s the first brace of my career, and at the World Cup on top of that,” he said via FIFA’s official channels. “Scoring two goals in front of the fans and my family, that’s very, very nice. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

Manchester United have been linked with Manzambi for several months as they look to reshape their squad ahead of next season. The club have already agreed a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson for £35 million, with a further £3.8 million available in add-ons, but further reinforcements are expected.

Whether United can fend off interest from Bayern — one of Europe’s most resourced clubs — remains to be seen. Muller’s public endorsement is likely to accelerate the Bundesliga giants’ interest, putting United under pressure to move quickly if they are serious about landing Manzambi.