Brighton in pole position to sign dashing Nigerian teenage winger Zadok Yohanna

ENGLISH Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion are hoping to sign Nigerian teenage winger Zadok Yohanna from Swedish side AIK during the current summer transfer window.

Yohanna, 18, who only moved to Sweden from Nigerian academy Ikon Allah last summer, is regarded as one of the hottest properties in European football at the moment. Having qualified for the Uefa Conference League next season, Brighton need to strengthen their squad and see Yohanna as a vital addition who could make a difference to their team.

A left-footed attacker operating from the right, Yohanna offers the kind of direct threat, speed and technical confidence that elite recruitment teams now prioritise. Apparently, several big clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Rennes, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund are all monitoring the youngster.

His Swedish Cup performances in particular earlier in the year seem to have sharpened interest, with clubs moving quickly to establish whether he can develop into an elite winger. Brighton are said to be at the front of the queue, with confidence a deal will be concluded for a fee of around £18m to £20m, which would represent a club record sale for AIK.

Currently going through a rebuilding phase, Brighton have seen James Milner retire from football, while Adam Webster has left as a free agent. If bought, Yohanna would be a classic Brighton signing, young, quick, technically sharp and already being watched by bigger clubs.

Yohanna was recently invited to the Super Eagles camp to participate in the Unity Cup by Nigeria's head coach Eric Chelle but AIK refused to release him. According to the club, he was recovering from an injury at the time and playing for Nigeria would have disrupted his rehabilitation.