He has the same number of goals in the 2026 World Cup as Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland and has already produced two contenders for the best of the tournament.
Yasin Ayari announced himself in this summer’s tournament with two spectacular strikes in Sweden’s opening 5-1 win over Tunisia and his performance will make the Netherlands extremely wary when the sides meet in their second group match today.
The Brighton midfielder has not had an easy route here. Signed by Albion in January 2023 from AIK Solna, he also had two loan spells in the Championship with Coventry and Blackburn. Neither worked out for him and in summer 2024, it appeared Ayari’s future would lie elsewhere.
Since then, Ayari has gained the trust of Fabian Hurzeler and made 63 Premier League appearances in the last two seasons.
Daily Mail Sport takes a close look at Ayari and explains why he may soon be ready to take the next step.
Yasin Ayari announced himself in this summer’s tournament with two spectacular strikes in Sweden’s opening 5-1 win over Tunisia
Ayari slams home his second goal against Tunisia. Both strikes are early goal of the tournament contenders
What’s the fuss about?
Ayari combines hard work with creativity. Though not as eye-catching in duels as Carlos Baleba, last season Ayari still won 102 – the same number as his fellow midfielder. He is also impressive on the ball, keeping Brighton ticking over in the centre of the pitch.
According to data from scouting platform Wyscout, Ayari compares favourably to others in his role. Among all central and defensive midfielders under 24, Ayari was second only to Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch for non-penalty goals, third for expected goals and third for shots last season. He was also named Swedish midfielder of the year for 2025.
He is mentally strong, too. His father is Tunisian but Ayari chose to represent Sweden, where he was born. He was targeted by supporters throughout Sweden’s clash with Tunisia but still produced a stellar display.
Though he has an understated style, Ayari has shown himself to be a highly-effective Premier League operator – and his career changed direction when Brighton hired Hurzeler to replace Roberto De Zerbi in 2024.
Ayari was signed from Swedish club AIK Solna three-and-a-half years ago but was never favoured by De Zerbi. When Hurzeler joined two years ago, Ayari was expecting to leave the Seagulls that summer. Yet Hurzeler immediately saw what Ayari could offer and quickly made him a key part of his plans. From that moment, Ayari has scarcely looked back.
Ayari combines creativity with hard work. Last season he won 102 duels – the same number as his fellow Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba
Ayari is suddenly in the spotlight following his double against Tunisia. The Netherlands will need to be wary today when they face Sweden
Who does he compare to?
Ayari has similar qualities to Manchester United target Mateus Fernandes of West Ham and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, though he is perhaps not yet as dynamic as Fernandes nor as able to dictate the tempo as Wharton – yet he combines their qualities superbly.
When Nottingham Forest realised they were likely to lose Elliot Anderson this summer, they began making a succession plan and Ayari featured high on that list. Forest submitted a bid for the midfielder in January but it was swiftly rejected. Brighton were pushing for Europe until the final day of the campaign whereas Forest were fighting relegation, even though they also reached the Europa League semi-finals.
In Sweden’s opening game, Ayari played on the left of a midfield trio in Graham Potter’s 3-5-2 system and spent most of the match patrolling the left channel.
With Jesper Karlstrom the deepest of the three, Ayari was given licence to push forward – to devastating effect.
Ayari has similar qualities to Manchester United target Mateus Fernandes of West Ham
Who wants him?
The Premier League’s leading clubs are all aware of Ayari. He has 12 months remaining on his contract though Brighton have an option to extend it by a further year.
Seven-times European champions AC Milan are watching developments closely and Champions League regulars Atletico Madrid have shown interest but if Ayari does move, he is likely to have options in the Premier League, too.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are all keeping an eye on the situation, while Manchester United and Newcastle are monitoring matters, too. There could be plenty of midfield movement this summer and Ayari’s performances across the Atlantic will only help his cause.
Where can he improve?
Perhaps Ayari can be a little more adventurous on the ball. In 2025-26, he created 15 chances, which put him only 11th in Brighton’s rankings.
Though some of his output is dictated by his role in the team, Ayari will also want to improve his tally of goals and assists. In 75 games for Brighton, Ayari has six goals and four assists. For his country, his tally is five goals and two assists in 22 appearances.
We should back Ayari to deliver, though. Unlike many players, Ayari is a football obsessive who will watch as many games as possible and is always aware of how his peers are performing. Both Potter and Hurzeler are hugely impressed by the midfielder’s serious approach to the job.
Ayari celebrates scoring for Brighton. His manager Fabian Hurzeler has been hugely impressed by the midfielder’s serious approach to the job
What else do we need to know about him?
Ayari’s partner is Sandra Kulusevska, the sister of Tottenham and Sweden winger Dejan Kulusevski, and the couple are expecting their first child.
His younger brother, Taha, is on the books at Yasin’s former club AIK and is a left-winger valued at about £1million.
