Swedish side AIK already have a replacement lined up for Zadok Yohanna as Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion battle for his signature.
Aftonbladet report that Lugano’s Elias Pihlström has already been lined up to replace the 18-year-old as he looks destined to depart.
Newcastle and Brighton bids
According to the newspaper, AIK are ‘about to receive’ big money for Zadok Yohanna in the coming weeks.
Sport Witness covered a report yesterday explaining that Newcastle had bid €24m for the youngster, while Brighton are also believed to be keen on him. Reports elsewhere have even put Chelsea into the mix for him.
The expectation is that he will move on this summer, and AIK are already planning for life without him. According to Aftonbladet, they’ve already started looking at possible signings.
According to their information, Elias Pihlström is one of the players that AIK have high on their list of possible signings. He’s been discussed internally and the club’s sports management have had a number of meetings regarding the player. He fits well into their recruitment strategy.
Brighton advantage
But the fact that AIK are already looking at him suggests that they believe Zadok Yohanna will be on the move before too long. That bodes well for Newcastle and Brighton.
While the Magpies appear to be at the front of the queue at this moment in time following their €24m bid, Brighton are unlikely to be out of the picture.
Indeed, they hold a major advantage over Newcastle. They can point to a proven track record of developing youth players over the last few years. Indeed, one Swedish youngster, Yasin Ayari, is in their squad for the 2026 World Cup.
The decision will ultimately be Yohanna’s to make. In the meantime, it seems AIK are already planning for his departure as the Premier League circles.
