Chelsea have entered the race to sign highly rated Nigerian wonderkid Zadok Yohanna from Swedish side AIK this summer, as per TEAMtalk.
Since the May 2023 Clearlake-led takeover of Chelsea, the Blues have modelled their transfer strategy towards securing some of the best exciting prospects across South America and Europe.
However, they have not engaged in much activity in Africa, which led to the appointment of Achirou Gaoh and Seyi Olofinjana to lead their scouting efforts across the continent.
As a result, the Blues have reportedly conducted trials for some talents, including current Stade Reims centre-forward Hafiz Umar, who was at Nigerian league side Ojodu City at the time, and Nigerian Golden Eaglets striker Victor Divine Emmanuel, who signed for BlueCo’s sister club Strasbourg last summer.
Last October, Football Talk, citing the Sun, also reported that Chelsea are ‘hot on the trail’ of highly rated Nigeria U20 international Abduljelil Kamaldeen.
The latest Nigerian star linked with Chelsea is AIK’s Yohanna, according to TEAMtalk, which claims the London giants have entered the race to sign the exciting winger.
Yohanna has turned heads with his performances since joining Swedish side AIK from Ikon Allah Academy last summer, already providing nine goal contributions while showing exciting flair, pace and skill, as evidenced by his 4.34 dribbles per game.
Exciting prospect
The report adds that Chelsea are looking to add more exciting attacking prospects to their ranks and view the 18-year-old as a player with immense long-term potential.
Chelsea, under BlueCo, have shown in the past that they’re not afraid of spending big on young players, so there’s a belief that the club could meet AIK’s valuation, amid TEAMtalk’s report that claims the 12-time Swedish champions have placed a £20m price tag on the youngster.
However, the Blues face fierce battles from Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the race to sign the Nigerian, TEAMtalk adds.
Several Nigerian players have played key roles in Chelsea’s success, including 2000 FA Cup winner Celestine Babayaro, 2012 UEFA Champions League winner John Obi Mikel, and Victor Moses, who helped the club secure the Premier League title in 2016/17. Nigerian internationals Ola Aina and Kenneth Omeruo also spent time on Chelsea’s books.
Given that history, it is hardly surprising that Chelsea possesses one of the largest supporter bases on the continent, particularly in Nigeria, and it could grow even further if they successfully secure Yohanna, who has emerged as the country’s most exciting prospect.
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