Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a five-year deal for Nigerian winger, Zadok Yohanna from AIK Stockholm for a reported fee of £21.5 million. The 18-year-old winger passed his medicals on Saturday and will finalize the move when the summer transfer window opens on June 15, 2026, following a meteoric rise from grassroots football in northern Nigeria to one of Europe’s top leagues.

“I’m really happy, that’s why, because I know where I came from,” Yohanna told the club’s media after signing his contract through June 2031. “I really wanted to make my family proud. And I have done that.”

Zadok Abu Yohanna was born on June 29, 2007, in Bauchi State and left his family at age 12 or 13, relocating alone to Kaduna to pursue his dream. There, he began training at the Ikon Allah Football Academy, a local talent nursery.

In June 2025, AIK Stockholm signed him, and within just two months he had climbed from the under‑19 squad to the senior team. He made his first‑team debut on August 17, 2025, as a substitute against IFK Göteborg. The 2026 season saw his full breakthrough under new head coach José Rivero, with Yohanna scoring his first two goals for AIK on March 9 in a 4–0 win over BK Häcken and netting on his Allsvenskan debut on April 5.

Before Brighton secured his signature, Yohanna attracted interest from Chelsea, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. The teenager explained his choice by pointing to Brighton’s reputation for youth development. “I watch Premier League games a lot, so I know the teams that use young players, and Brighton is one of them,” he told the club’s website. “They are really good at developing young talents, and I think their style of play will fit me a lot.”

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki celebrated Yohanna’s rise in a social media post, calling it a reminder that Nigerian talent needs only opportunity. “Somebody sent me the Zadok Yohanna story this morning and honestly, I had to read it twice,” Saraki wrote. “Born in Bauchi. Moved to Kaduna on his own as a young boy to chase a football dream. … A teenager from northern Nigeria, armed with little more than talent, discipline and determination, has forced his way into one of the most competitive talent markets on earth.”

Saraki cited his own work establishing the Kwara Football Academy and ABS FC. “Nigerians are an extraordinarily talented people. That has never been in question. What stories like Zadok’s remind us is what can happen when talent meets opportunity.”

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler also praised his new arrival. “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.