Nigerian teenager said he joined Seagulls because of their reputation for developing youngsters

NEW Brighton and Hove signing Zadok Yohanna has revealed that he joined the club because he believes that the English Premier league club will make him into a much better player given its reputation for turning raw talent into gems.

Nigeria's Yohanna, 18, became the first big signing of the summer transfer when he joined Brighton from Swedish side AIK in a deal said to be worth about £24m. Over recent weeks, he has been the subject of a scramble as several English sides jostled for his signature but yesterday, Brighton emerged as winners, getting him to sign a deal that will last until 2031, worth an initial €28m, plus a potential €2m in add-ons.

Zadok, who impressed during his breakthrough spell at AIK Stockholm, said Brighton’s reputation for giving opportunities to young talents made them stand out among several interested clubs. After signing the deal, he took to the club's website to say that Brighton's commitment to developing young players was the key factor in his decision.

“I watch Premier League games a lot, so I know the teams that use young players and Brighton is one of them. They are really good at developing young talents and I think their style of play will fit me a lot.

“At AIK, I had a lot of good people around me who took care of me. Everyone loved me, so it was difficult to leave,” Yohanna added.

He also revealed that talks with Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler played a major role in convincing him to make the switch, with the manager encouraging him to keep working hard and stay focused on his development. Yohanna's transfer has made him the costliest player ever sold by a club in the Swedish Allsvenskan.

Yohanna said: “He urged me to keep fighting and working hard. I will give everything I have and I really want to win trophies with the team.”

In Sweden, the previous most expensive transfer was the record move of Lucas Bergvall from Djurgårdens to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2024 for €20m. Yohanna, who AIK recently prevented from joining up with the Super Eagles for the Unity Cup in London because he was recovering from injury, has now smashed that record and will be closely watched in the English Premier League next season.

Only 11 months after leaving Nigeria's Ikon Allah Football Academy for Stockholm in a modest €750k deal, the teenager has broken into the list of the most expensive Nigerian players signed at the age of 20 or younger. Last season, Yohanna scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 senior appearances for AIK, a breakthrough that triggered a frantic race involving Chelsea and Newcastle United.