Brighton sign Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna for £21.5m
Zadok Yohanna has signed a five-year contract with Brighton
Brighton sign Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna for £21.5m
Brighton sign Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna for £21.5mBrighton, English Premier League (EPL) club, have signed Zadok Yohanna, Nigerian youngster, from AIK Stockholm in Sweden.
The BBC reports that Yohanna’s transfer is valued at £21.5 million, pending regulatory approvals.
The fee makes him the most expensive Nigerian teenage footballer ever, surpassing the £16 million (approximately) that Chelsea paid for John Obi Mikel from Lyn Oslo in 2006.
Brighton announced Yohana’s signing on their official website, confirming that the former Ikon Allah academy product has put pen to paper on a five-year contract running until 2031.
The move comes just one year after he turned professional, and he now 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 he will become a valuable attacking asset for the team, even though he will require some time to adjust.
“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 the Seagulls’ style fits his profile and that playing for the club would aid 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, and has scored five goals and provided four assists respectively in 18 matches this season before his blockbuster move.
