Brighton sign Alireza Jahanbakhsh on five-year deal for club record fee

Brighton have signed Iran winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar for an undisclosed club record fee, reported to be £17m.

The 24-year-old has signed a five-year contract with Albion until June 2023, and becomes the eighth major signing of the summer transfer window.

Manager Chris Hughton said, “We are delighted to welcome Alireza to the club, and we are particularly pleased to get this deal over the line.

“Ali is a player that we have been aware of and monitored for a few years, and his versatility will increase our attacking options within the squad.

“He can play in a wide position or central midfield attacking role, and I am now very much looking forward to working with him.”

Jahanbakhsh began his career with the Damash Gilan youth academy, before moving to Iranian second division side Damash Tehran in 2010. 

He returned to Gilan a year later and became one of the club’s youngest-ever players, making his senior debut in 2011 at the age of 17.

The midfielder moved to Holland and signed for NEC Nijmegen in 2013, where he made 64 appearances and scored 19 goals, winning the Dutch Eerste Divisie title in his second and final season at the club.

A move to Alkmaar followed in 2015 and the Iranian was the top scorer in last season’s Dutch Eredivisie, where he scored 21 goals in 33 appearances.

He also has 41 caps for Iran and featured in all three of the country’s games at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia.