Can Zadok Yohanna break Brighton’s record €116m sale in the future?

Brighton recently completed the signing of Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna from Swedish side AIK in a deal worth around €27 million, making the 18-year-old one of the most expensive teenagers in African football history, Afrik Foot reports.

Yohanna’s move to the Amex Stadium comes after a remarkable rise that has seen him go from grassroots football in Bauchi State to the Premier League in less than two years.

While Brighton supporters are only beginning to learn about their new signing, those who helped shape his journey believe the teenager is destined for the very top.

Ali Mohammed, owner of Kaduna-based Ikon Allah Football Academy, has made the extraordinary prediction that Yohanna could one day command a transfer fee of €180 million.

Yohanna’s mentor makes bold transfer prediction

Long before Europe’s elite clubs began tracking Yohanna, Mohammed had already identified him as a special talent.

According to the academy owner, Yohanna first arrived in Kaduna after being recommended by scouts who had spotted his potential in Bauchi State.

“There was a guy who discovered him (Yohanna), so I talked to his older brother directly. He is the one that brought the boy to me,” Mohammed told Footy-Africa.

“They saw him from Bauchi, they called that there is a good player in Bauchi then I spoke to them, with his senior brother direct and they brought him directly to Kaduna.

“If you saw him at that time, he was very little, and I was shocked at how he was. I asked myself how can I start this process. I then started with him and, like a joke, he became bigger, better and stronger.”

Mohammed revealed that Yohanna remained under his guidance for a lengthy period as his football education accelerated, rarely returning home while focusing on his development.

Years later, that work has culminated in a move to Brighton, but Mohammed believes the teenager’s journey is only just beginning.

Quizzed if Yohanna was the greatest talent to emerge from his academy, the response was emphatic.

“Ejuke is a big player and from us too, but I do not think there is a player like Yohanna in the whole of Africa. It is not possible.”

New kid on the block. 💫 pic.twitter.com/Pe2Uxk2qZS

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) June 6, 2026

The academy owner went even further, insisting the winger possesses every attribute required to become one of the continent’s biggest stars.

“He has all the potential it takes to be big in European football.

“What Yohanna has, when you see him, you will know he is a great player in the making.

“Go and write it in the newspapers. Yohanna, in the next two to three years, will go for €180 million.

“Write it down, write the day and the time of this interview, and we will come back to it soon.

“Like I said, in two to three years, he will be the best player in Africa,” Ali Mohammed concluded.

Can Yohanna surpass Brighton’s biggest-ever sale?

While Mohammed’s €180 million prediction may sound ambitious, Brighton’s recent track record suggests that the possibility cannot be outrightly dismissed.

The Seagulls currently hold the Premier League record for the sale of a midfielder after Chelsea paid around €116 million for Moises Caicedo in 2023. Brighton have also generated huge profits from the sales of Alexis Mac Allister, Marc Cucurella, Yves Bissouma, Ben White and Robert Sanchez, establishing themselves as arguably Europe’s leading talent-development club.

That reputation was one of the key reasons Yohanna chose Brighton despite interest from Chelsea, Newcastle United and clubs across Europe.

The pathway is clear. If Yohanna develops into a Premier League star and continues his upward trajectory, his market value could soar rapidly. However, breaking the €116 million isn’t very realistic.

The Nigerian teenager has only a handful of senior appearances under his belt and has yet to play a competitive match in England. Adapting to the physical demands and intensity of Premier League football will be the first major test of his career.

Should he go on to make a huge impact at the Amex Stadium, Mohamed’s prediction might come to pass, but at the moment, it looks far-fetched.