Brighton & Hove Albion’s newest Nigerian recruit, Zadok Yohanna, has revealed that the club’s reputation for nurturing young talent was the biggest reason he turned down interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United to complete a record-breaking move to the south coast, Footynaija reports.
The 18-year-old winger arrives from Swedish side AIK Stockholm in a deal worth an initial €28 million, with an additional €2 million tied to bonuses. The transfer has set a new Allsvenskan record, making Yohanna the most expensive player ever sold by a Swedish club.
Although Chelsea and Newcastle both made late attempts to lure the teenager away from Brighton, Yohanna was already convinced that the Seagulls offered the best environment for 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.”
The youngster has signed a five-year contract until 2031 and joins England after an impressive start to the Swedish campaign, where he registered two goals and three assists in 10 league appearances.
Leaving AIK was not an easy decision for the Nigerian, who admitted he became deeply attached to the people around the club.
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“I had a lot of good people around me who took care of me. Everyone loved me, so it was difficult to leave.”
Yohanna also highlighted conversations with Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler as another major influence on his choice.
“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.”
Yohanna joins the Nigerian contingent of Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka, and others in the Premier League ahead of next season.
