ENGLISH Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna from AIK Stockholm in a deal worth £21.5 million.
News Point Nigeria Sport reports transfer marks a historic milestone for the Kaduna-born winger, who only turned professional and moved to Europe last year. The move makes Yohanna the most expensive player ever to transfer from a Scandinavian country to one of Europe’s top leagues.
At just 18 years old, Yohanna also becomes the most expensive Nigerian teenager in football history, surpassing the fee paid when John Obi Mikel joined Chelsea from Norway’s Lyn Oslo in 2006.
Brighton reportedly beat fierce competition from Newcastle United and Chelsea to secure the signature of the speedy and skillful winger.
Announcing the deal, Brighton confirmed that Yohanna has signed a five-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2031.
Brighton’s head coach, Fabian Hurzeler, expressed his excitement over the signing, describing Yohanna as a player capable of making a significant impact in attack.
“I’m looking forward to working with Zadok. Having seen his games and his attributes, he is a player that can impact games in the final third.
“He’s still young, and will need time to adapt to the club and Premier League, but he’s an exciting player to watch and he brings the kind of creativity we know our fans will enjoy.
“He’s dynamic, has pace and likes to take players on. His attributes and ability will be a real addition to our attacking options,” Hurzeler said.
The Brighton manager also revealed that the Nigerian youngster would join the club’s first-team squad immediately.
Yohanna, for his part, expressed his admiration for the English Premier League and described Brighton as the ideal destination for his development because of the club’s reputation for nurturing young talents and helping them reach their full potential.
The teenager arrives in England after an impressive spell in Sweden. A graduate of the Ikon Allah Academy, Yohanna scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 appearances for AIK Stockholm before completing his headline-grabbing move to the Premier League.
His transfer is expected to further enhance Nigeria’s growing reputation as a producer of elite football talents capable of competing at the highest levels of European football.