Brighton & Hove Albion of England summer signing, Zadok Abu Yohanna has gone straight into the English Premier League outfit’s main squad and will not be loaned to any ‘smaller’ club before the start of the season, Sports247 reports.
In contrast with initial speculation that the product of Ikon Allah Football academy of Kaduna was deemed too young to feature in the EPL, egg heads at Brighton have decided to keep him and see him fight for his place in their main team.
Consequently, the 18-year-old attacker, who was bought from AIK Stockholm of Sweden at the end of last month in a deal worth £21.5m, will remain with Brighton fully and continue his development internally among The Seagulls.
This comes after Brighton’s coach, Fabian Hurzeler spoke in glowing terms about the youngster, praising his creativity and ability in the final third, while also stressing the importance of patience as he adapts to English football.
With Hurzeler affirming that Yohanna fits into his long-term plans, the fast-rising lad is expected to feature in pre-season with the first team, as he sets about taking early steps to fit into the environment at Brighton’s expansive Amex Stadium.
He will also put up a spirited effort to justify how Brighton saw off competition from Newcastle United and Chelsea to secure his signature, after seeing him net five goals and four assists in 18 impressive appearances for AIK.
Yohanna, who will clock 19 on the 29th of this month, began his career at the Ikon Allah academy and joined AIK in 2025, following which he rapidly established himself within the club’s structure and became a mainstay in the team.
The dazzling winger, who achieved his breakthrough in AIK’s first team this past season in The Land Of The Midnight Sun, signed for Brighton in a deal worth an equivalent of €28m, thereby breaking the Swedish transfer record.
