Motherwell buy Sweden U21 forward Kanga

Motherwell have paid an undisclosed fee to land highly rated Sweden Under-21 forward Jardell Kanga from Finnish top-flight club Ilves. Kanga, 20, has signed a three-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. He became Brommapojkarna's youngest-ever player in 2021 when making his first-team debut aged 15 in Sweden's third tier. Kanga joined Bayer Leverkusen the following year, featuring for their youth sides, and had a loan spell at De Graafschap before a permanent move to Hammarby in his homeland two years ago. A switch to Ilves, initially on loan, followed in April 2025 and he made 68 appearances for the Finnish club, scoring 18 goals and providing 16 assists. "Jardell is a player I have followed closely for a number of years," said Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson. "When Jardell was playing youth football, there were a number of occasions I tried to bring him into my team, but circumstances meant this didn't happen. I have admired his ability for years and I'm so pleased I'll finally be able to work with him. "He arrives in Scotland with a lot of attention for what he has achieved already in football, but I know in our environment we can help him develop and grow further." Kanga says his Fir Park move "makes a lot of sense for me", adding: "The style of play is perfect, the group of players are friendly and talented, and the club is ambitious."