Brighton & Hove Albion have secured the signing of Nigerian teenage sensation Zadok Yohanna from Swedish club AIK Stockholm in a transfer the BBC values at £21.5 million, subject to regulatory clearances.
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The deal rewrites two records simultaneously: Yohanna becomes the most expensive Nigerian teenage footballer in history, eclipsing the roughly £16 million Chelsea paid for John Obi Mikel from Lyn Oslo back in 2006, and also the most expensive player ever transferred from Scandinavia to one of Europe’s top leagues.
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Brighton confirmed the move on their official website, revealing that the 18-year-old former Ikon Allah academy product has signed a five-year contract running until 2031 — all of this arriving just one year after he first turned professional.
The numbers that preceded his move were equally striking. In 18 appearances for AIK this season, Yohanna contributed five goals and four assists, form that clearly caught Brighton’s eye.
Head coach Fabian Hurzeler made little effort to conceal his excitement, while managing expectations around an inevitable settling-in period. “He is a player that can impact games in the final third,” Hurzeler said. “He’s dynamic, has pace and likes to take players on. His attributes and ability will be a real addition to our attacking options. He’s still young, and will need time to adapt to the club and the Premier League, but he’s an exciting player to watch and brings the kind of creativity our fans will enjoy.”
Yohanna himself said the move felt like the right fit. “I watch Premier League games a lot, so I know the teams that use young players, and Brighton is one of them,” he said. “They are really good at developing young talents, and I think their style of play will fit me a lot.”
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