Confirmed: Chelsea want to hijack wonderkid transfer

4 Jun 2026 09:08 BST | 6 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Chelsea have reportedly joined Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United in the race to sign AIK winger Zadok Yohanna ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.

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Yohanna, 18, joined AIK from the Ikon Allah Football Academy in Nigeria last year and he has enjoyed a rapid ascent to stardom since his arrival in Sweden, with several top clubs eager to finalise a deal this summer.

The teenager initially joined AIK’s U19 side, but he quickly established himself as a first-team regular and he has scored five goals and provided four assists in just 18 senior games for the club.

Brighton and Newcastle have been tracking his progress for several months and they head into the summer window as the two frontrunners for his signature. The former lodged a €23 million bid last weekend, while the latter have now submitted an improved offer worth €24m, according to Swedish outlet Expressen.

It’s reported that AIK are in negotiations with both Brighton and Newcastle ahead of this summer, with the club eager to turn a quick profit on Yohanna after signing him for a measly fee of just €750,000.

However, Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that Chelsea want to hijack a deal and bring Yohanna to Stamford Bridge. He posted on X: “Understand Chelsea have now also entered the race for Zadok Yohanna.

“Newcastle’s proposal is currently understood to be the highest. Brighton, however, are still hoping to secure the player’s commitment. Verbal agreement 100% done.”

If Yohanna does leave AIK this summer, he is expected to become the most expensive player in Allsvenskan history, usurping Lucas Bergvall, who joined Tottenham Hotspur from Djurgarden for €20m in 2024.

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Analysis: How would Zadok Yohanna fit in at Chelsea?

If Chelsea win the race to sign Yohanna this summer, he would almost certainly be sent out on loan for the entirety of the 2026-27 season in order to continue his development.

The Nigerian has played less than 20 times for AIK’s senior team and given his complete lack of experience, there is very little chance that Chelsea would hand him a first-team role upon his arrival.

Instead, Yohanna would likely be loaned back to AIK, or potentially to Strasbourg, to ensure his progress isn’t stunted.

Chelsea already have Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto as left-footed right wingers, while Geovany Quenda will add to that contingent when he joins from Sporting CP in July, so Yohanna would struggle for minutes if he remained at Chelsea for 2026-27.

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