Yohanna set for Brighton pre-season

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Nigerian winger, Zadok Yohanna, is set to join the rest of Brighton and Hove Albion’s first-team squad for pre-season training on July 15, with the Premier League club having ruled out sending the teenager out on loan for the coming campaign.

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The 19-year-old completed a record-breaking move to Brighton from Swedish club, AIK, becoming the most expensive outgoing transfer from Sweden after the Seagulls paid €30m for his signature. He has since been based in England undergoing personal training, including sessions alongside Brighton veteran, Danny Welbeck.

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Yohanna, who joined AIK from Ikon Allah Football Academy in Kaduna barely a year before his move to England, signed a five-year contract at the Amex Stadium and celebrated his 19th birthday at the club’s training facilities last month, where he was surprised with a cake during a gym session.

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Reflecting on his rise to the Premier League, Yohanna said he was determined to make his family proud following his journey from Nigeria.

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“I am very happy to join this club because I know where I came from. I really wanted to make my family proud, and I have done that,” he said.

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The teenager is regarded as one of Nigeria’s brightest young prospects and has reportedly caught the attention of Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle.

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He was invited for the Unity Cup in London in May but was unable to report for international duty because of his ongoing transfer process and a minor injury at the time.

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With the Premier League fixture list now released for the 2026/2027 season, Yohanna could make his top-flight debut on Sunday, August 23, when Brighton host Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium, as he prepares to be integrated into the first-team squad ahead of the new campaign.

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