Brighton sign Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna for £21.5m

Brighton & Hove Albion have signed Nigerian teenager Zadok Yohanna from Swedish club AIK Stockholm, according to a report by the BBC which values the transfer at £21.5 million, subject to regulatory clearances. 

The fee makes Yohanna the most expensive Nigerian teenage footballer in history, surpassing the approximate £16 million that Chelsea paid for John Obi Mikel from Lyn Oslo in 2006.

The Premier League club confirmed the signing on their official website, stating that the former Ikon Allah academy product has agreed to a five-year contract that runs until 2031. The move arrives just one year after he turned professional. He now also holds the record for the highest transfer fee ever paid for a player moving from Scandinavia to a top European league.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler spoke highly of the 18-year-old’s talent, expressing confidence that Yohanna will become a valuable attacking asset for the team, though he acknowledged the youngster will require some time to settle. “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 said.

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.”

Yohanna added that Brighton’s playing style suits his profile and that joining the club would support his development. “I watch Premier League games a lot, so I know the teams that use young players, and Brighton is one of them,” Yohanna said. “They are really good at developing young talents, and I think their style of play will fit me a lot.”

Yohanna joined AIK last summer. Before his blockbuster move, he had scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 matches this season.