Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed terms to sign 18-year-old Nigerian winger Zadok Yohanna from AIK Stockholm on a five-year contract running until June 2031, the club announced. The transfer will be completed when the window opens on June 15; the fee was not disclosed, though British media have valued the deal at around £21.5 million.
Brighton secured the signing after competition from several clubs, with the Seagulls reportedly beating off interest from Newcastle United, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt, among others that tracked the youngster.
Yohanna cited Brighton’s reputation for bringing through young players as the key factor in his decision, saying simply: “Development. The way they develop players… they are really good at developing young talents.” His agent, Andrei Balmos, told Greek publication England365 that the player rejected larger offers from other Premier League clubs and Saudi Arabia to join Brighton, adding that they “had to respect the player’s wishes.”
The winger has risen rapidly after being discovered at Ikon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria, signing for AIK and breaking into the first team in August 2025. This season he recorded two goals and three assists in seven Allsvenskan appearances and added three goals and one assist in five Svenska Cupen matches, performances that led to a senior Nigeria call-up from coach Eric Chelle for last month’s Unity Cup and subsequent friendlies.
Primarily used as an inverted right winger despite being left-footed, Yohanna is noted for explosive dribbling, close control, acceleration and one-on-one ability. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said Yohanna can “impact games in the final third,” while noting the player is young and “will need time to adapt to the club and Premier League” but called him “an exciting player to watch.”
