A 'diamond to polish?' - Aspinall on Yohanna deal and Van Hecke links

[Getty Images] Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall hopes the club have found a "diamond" in Zadok Yohanna after the club agreed a £21.5m deal to sign the teenage winger. The Seagulls secured the signing of the Nigerian forward from Swedish side AIK Stockholm, where he scored five goals and provided four assists in 18 appearances since making his debut in August 2025. Speaking on the Albion Unlimited podcast, Aspinall said: "I think it's a little bit of a scalp because two other big clubs in England were chasing him in Chelsea and Newcastle, so they got ahead of them which is very good. It might be the right price and the going rate for an 18-year-old up-and-coming, good player. "Have we got another diamond to polish up? That's what we're looking for, these rough diamonds to polish up and sell on for big money." Brighton will be hoping to continue their reputation of improving young talents and selling them on for hefty profit with Yohanna. Some of the biggest Brighton sales include: Moises Caicedo to Chelsea - £100m rising to £115m Marc Cucurella to Chelsea - £60m Joao Pedro to Chelsea - £60m Ben White to Arsenal - £50m Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool - £35m Aspinall also touched on another player Brighton could command a big fee for as Tottenham have taken a keen interest in Jan Paul van Hecke and the former Brighton midfielder said it's a "win-win" scenario for the Seagulls. Spurs have considerable interest in the Dutch defender and have already seen one bid rejected by Brighton, who are reportedly holding out for close to £70m. "It's a big club, Spurs," Aspinall said. "It's one of the best stadiums in Europe, probably the best stadium in Europe, and they've underachieved in the last few seasons, but they can win things. It's who you want to play for and if he wants to go then it's a win-win for Brighton. "It's a good deal and Brighton will go again." Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds here Click here for more Brighton content