Brighton and Hove Albion have completed the signing of Norwegian under-21 international Henrik Rorvik Bjordal from Aalesunds FK for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.
Right winger Bjordal passed a medical at the American Express Elite Performance Centre yesterday and has signed a contract until June 2018.
The 18-year-old will initially be part of the under-21 squad, and manager Chris Hughton says Bjordal’s next aim is to break into the club’s first-team squad.
He said, “I’m delighted to welcome Henrik to the club. He’s an exciting young prospect, a quick player who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder.
“He already has a good deal of experience for his age having played a great number of games at senior level in Norway’s top division.
“He broke through to the senior team in Norway at a very young age and established himself quickly at his club; here, he will begin with our under-21 squad, and has the opportunity to make that step up into our first-team squad.”
Bjordal came through the ranks at Aalesunds and has been a regular in the senior side over the past two seasons, having broken into the first-team aged just 16 in 2013.
He made his debut for the club back in May 2013, as the club recorded an emphatic 7-1 win over Lillestrom; his breakthrough campaign came in the 2014 season, when he made a total of 25 appearances.
He was ever present in 2015 and has made 60 first-team appearances in three seasons, including 54 in the Norwegian Tippeligaen, scoring four goals; he has also represented Norway at every youth team level from the under-15s to the under-21s.
Meanwhile, Brighton and Hove Albion defender Adam Chicksen has joined Gillingham on a one-month loan deal.
It is the full-back’s second loan stint at the Priestfield Stadium after he spent a month with the Gills in November 2014.
Chicksen linked up with the League One side again this morning, and goes into their squad for the trip to Blackpool this weekend.
The 24-year-old has made two first-team appearances for the Seagulls this campaign, most recently in the FA Cup game at Hull earlier this month.
It is the full back’s fourth loan move since joining the Seagulls in 2013, having spent the final two months of last season at Fleetwood Town, while he also enjoyed a month-long spell at Leyton Orient in October 2014.
