Swedish Allsvenskan legend Peter Ijeh during an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa backed Nigerian teenager Zadok Yohanna to shine in the Premier League following his record-breaking transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion from AIK Stockholm.
Yohanna, 18, recently sealed a £21.5m move to the Seagulls just ten months after arriving in Sweden from the Ikhon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria. The deal, which includes a five-year contract and an additional €2m (£1.8m) in potential add-ons, makes him the most expensive departure in Allsvenskan history.
Speaking exclusively to Footy-Africa, former Malmö and IFK Göteborg striker Ijeh praised the rapid rise of the young forward.
“Zadok Yohanna moving from Nigerian Academy team to Swedish club AIK Stockholm and going on to sign a five-year contract with Brighton & Hove Albion is a great nand good for the lad and everyone involved,” Ijeh told Footy-Africa.
“The transfer is a very profound one, based on performative acts and dominance in the Swedish Allsvenskan league and season. The Sweden’s Allsvenskan league has always been a lunch pad and a quick link to big teams in Europe.”
Zadok Yohanna to Brighton: €30m fee + wages – Full transfer breakdown
Yohanna’s meteoric rise is underscored by the fact that he has made just 11 senior appearances for AIK and is yet to earn a senior international cap for Nigeria.
The lack of international experience raises intriguing questions regarding UK work permit regulations—such as the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria, which typically place significant weight on competitive international appearances for non-European players. However, under recent structural updates, Premier League clubs are permitted a limited number of “ESC” (Exceptional Status Core) slots for high-potential talent who do not meet the traditional points threshold.
Ijeh, now a UEFA-licensed coach, touched upon the complexities of the move while celebrating the youngster’s achievement.
”I believed the law of 60-80% active country national caps of non Europeans nationals has been bridged, but Zadok performances for AIK, earning recognition as a dynamic and exciting prospect and future project,” Ijeh noted. “I hope the academy in Nigeria has a clause and percentage of dividends for future transfer. Wishing him the best as he takes on another league.”
One new message… 📲 pic.twitter.com/Z5hMxpx3jj
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) June 6, 2026
Analysing Yohanna’s technical attributes, Ijeh—who finished as the Allsvenskan top scorer in 2002 with 24 goals—believes the winger’s tactical profile is perfectly suited to modern English football.
”His style of play is attacking and fearless, taking on defenders or creating over coverage situations for the opposite team that gives his own team a numerical superiority in other positions,” Ijeh explained. “He must continue in that talented area and make it his specialty. In other to add to his skill.. he must always train to be in continuous flexibility and agility and purposeful.”
Yohanna is expected to formally complete his registration when the transfer window opens on June 15, linking up directly with Brighton’s first-team squad for pre-season.
Ijeh, whose extensive playing career in Scandinavia included spells with Malmö, Göteborg, Viking, and Copenhagen, remains based in Sweden. His daughter, Evelyn Ijeh, is a current Swedish women’s international.
