Brighton & Hove Albion have completed the signing of Swedish starlet Yasin Ayari from AIK Fotboll for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £5.3m.
The 19-year-old midfielder has penned a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League outfit, keeping him tied to the Amex Stadium until June 2027.
Ayari becomes Roberto De Zerbi's second signing of the January transfer window after the arrival of 18-year-old Facundo Buonanotte from Rosario Central.
Speaking to the club's official website on Ayari's arrival at the Amex, technical director David Weir said, "Yasin is a versatile and technical midfield player, who is good on the ball and capable of playing across the midfield.
"He's had an impressive spell in Sweden with AIK, and we are delighted to have completed his transfer and to be welcoming him to the club.
We are delighted to confirm the signing of Yasin Ayari from Swedish side AIK on undisclosed terms, subject to international clearance. ✍️
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 30, 2023
🤝 @FirstTouchGames // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️
"He will need time to settle here and acclimatise to the Premier League, but we are really looking forward to working with him."
Born in Solna, Ayari joined AIK's academy at the age of eight before working his way through the youth ranks and eventually making his professional debut as a 17-year-old in December 2020.
Ayari enjoyed a breakthrough season with AIK last year, scoring four goals in 24 Allsvenskan matches, before scoring once in five Europa Conference League appearances at the beginning of this campaign.
The midfielder's rise at senior level caught the eye of Sweden manager Janne Andersson, who handed the youngster his full international debut in a 2-0 friendly win over Finland earlier this month.
It remains to be seen whether Ayari will be immediately integrated into De Zerbi's first-team squad, who currently sit sixth in the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, Brighton are understood to have rejected a second bid of £70m from Arsenal for midfielder Moises Caicedo, and insist that the 21-year-old will not be sold in January.
Oliver Thomas
