Chiamaka Nnadozie Pledges to Help Zadok Yohanna Settle at Brighton After £21.5m Premier League Move

Nigerian international goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has pledged her full support to compatriot Zadok Yohanna following his high-profile move to Brighton & Hove Albion, with the Super Falcons star revealing the two share a residential compound at the club.

Yohanna completed a £21.5 million (€28 million) transfer to the Amex Stadium from Swedish Allsvenskan outfit AIK Stockholm, signing a five-year contract that runs until June 2031. The deal is particularly notable given that the 18-year-old winger had spent less than a full calendar year in European football prior to the move, having departed Nigeria’s Ikon Allah Football Academy in 2025.

Brightton secured the signature of the forward — nicknamed the “Nigerian Neymar” — ahead of several more prominent suitors, with Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Manchester City all among the clubs that had reportedly courted the dynamic teenager before he chose the Sussex-based side.

Nnadozie, speaking on Friday, June 11, made clear she intends to make the transition as smooth as possible for her fellow Nigerian. “The best part is that we live in the same compound, so we will see each other often. I plan to welcome him properly, help him however I can, show him around, and take him to restaurants — things like that,” she said. “I’m truly happy for him and glad to have another Nigerian at the club.”

The goalkeeper also noted that Brighton regularly organises cross-team events based on nationality, which she said are designed to foster cultural connections within the club’s playing staff — an avenue she intends to use to support Yohanna’s integration.

Nnadozie herself is well-established at Brighton having built a strong reputation in the Women’s Super League. The three-time consecutive CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year enjoyed a standout recent campaign, helping Brighton reach the Women’s FA Cup Final. Her settled status at the club positions her as a credible mentor for the incoming forward.

Yohanna’s trajectory from street football in Kaduna to a multimillion-pound Premier League contract in the space of a few years represents one of the more rapid ascents in recent Nigerian football history. His path mirrors, in some respects, those of earlier Nigerian talents who used academy structures as a launchpad to European football, though few have made the leap at such pace or at such a young age.

By opting for Brighton over a so-called Big Six destination, Yohanna joins a club widely regarded across European football for its structured approach to player development. The Seagulls have built a consistent track record of integrating young talent into first-team football, with several players having used the club as a platform before moving to larger clubs — a model that could suit the teenager’s long-term ambitions.

With Nnadozie’s mentorship on hand and a club environment tailored to player progression, Yohanna appears well-placed to navigate the demands of top-flight English football as he begins the next chapter of what has already been a remarkable rise.