Zadok Yohanna: Key reason Brighton appealed to Super Eagles invitee over Chelsea, Newcastle

Super Eagles invitee Zadok Yohanna has made headlines after sealing a £21.5m move to Brighton and Hove Albion, Afrik Foot reports.

The 18-year-old only joined Swedish Allsvenskan side AIK last July for €750k, but has now become the most expensive Nigerian U-20 transfer, just a few million euros short of George Ilenikhena’s €33m transfer from AS Monaco to Al-Ittihad.

However, Brighton weren’t alone in the race for the highly-rated fleet-footed winger. After agreeing on a deal for Yohanna, Chelsea and Newcastle United joined the race for the youngster, but the Seagulls sealed the deal unscathed.

In the announcement video, Yohanna sent a subtle dig to the other clubs that wanted to hijack the Brighton deal. Putting his hands in his ears, the ex-AIK man said, “Ignore the noise, it was always Brighton,” hinting that the other parties stood no chance of deterring him from moving to the Amex.

🥶📸 pic.twitter.com/26krv659qf

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

Zadok Yohanna’s agent explains Brighton move

The teenager’s agent, Andrei Balmos and his business partner, Roni Layous, played a crucial role in bringing Yohanna from the Ikon Allah Football Academy to Sweden and were instrumental in the journey to the Amex Stadium.

The Romanian revealed that there were bigger offers from other clubs, but their priority was whatever the player wanted.

“They were very difficult days,” Balmos told England365 in quotes revealed by We are Brighton.

“A lot of work. A lot of meetings. It was not easy at all. More than four or five clubs wanted Zadok and we had to make the best possible decision.

“We chose Brighton because we felt they genuinely wanted Zadok.”

“Everyone was interested. But Brighton were willing to solve every issue which came up in order to complete the deal,” Balmos continued.

“Whatever the player needed. Whatever AIK Stockholm needed. Brighton were prepared to do everything possible.

“But the most important factor was the wish of the player. Zadok wanted to move to Brighton. He felt it was the right next step for his career and that it is a club who can help reach an even higher level in future.

“Yes, there were clubs that offered more money than Brighton, but money was not what we were looking for. We wanted the best project.

“If money had been the priority, Zadok could have gone to Saudi Arabia. We had offers from there too. But we turned them down.

“Not because the Saudi League is not good. We had to respect our player’s wishes. And Zadok only wanted Brighton.”

Is Zadok Yohanna’s choice justified?

Brighton have become well known for buying youngsters at meagre fees, turning them into top-class talents, and selling them at huge fees.

The Seagulls brought in Moises Caicedo, Yves Bissouma, Marc Cucurella, Alexis Mac Allister, Ben White, and Robert Sanchez for €105.2m, but sold six of them for €397.7m. Away from the money, all of those players have also won titles at their new clubs.

The pathway created by Brighton is why Yohanna is convinced the club can build him into the next level he wants to attain.

“I watch Premier League games a lot, so I know the teams that use young players, and Brighton is one of them,” Yohanna said in quotes revealed by Brighton’s official website.

“They are really good at developing young talents, and I think their style of play will fit me a lot.

“I had a lot of good people around me who took care of me [at AOL]. Everyone loved me, so it was difficult to leave. He [Fabian Hurzeler] urged me to keep fighting and working hard.

“I will give everything I have and I really want to win trophies with the team,” the fleet-footed winger concluded.

Andrei Balmos also echoed the sentiments of the latest seagull, boasting that the rest of Europe are not ready for what Yohanna will do in the English Premier League.

“They should expect to see his hunger and how hard he works in training every single day.

“Without wanting to sound arrogant, they will quickly realise just how talented he is. He is going to achieve great things in football. I am absolutely convinced about that. And let me tell you something else – Europe is not ready for what is coming.

“I have known him since we was 13-years-old. We first discovered him in a tournament in Nigeria through a project that Roni and I were involved in.

“Zadok was different to anything else. I could see it immediately. And I will say it again, with arrogance – Europe is not ready for what is coming,” the agent concluded.

Yohanna will kick-start his journey as a Brighton player next month when their pre-season campaign kicks off.