The striker joins the Dons following two years at Portsmouth, having played with the EFL Championship club since 2023.
Aberdeen has made its fourth signing of the summer, bringing in Australian attacker Kusini Yengi. The striker joins the Dons following two years at Portsmouth, having played with the EFL Championship club since 2023. He left the club when his contract expired at the end of the 2024–25 season.
The 26-year-old is Pittodrie’s fourth acquisition, following Emmanuel Gyamfi from Bundesliga 2’s Schalke, Nicolas Milanovic from Western Sydney Wanderers, and Nick Suman from Cove Rangers.
Jimmy Thelin commented on the new signing, saying, “We were fairly clear about the type of profile we had identified to play as a striker for Aberdeen, and Kusini has a lot of the traits we were looking for.
“He is tall, strong, and quick; he will work hard for the squad and lead the way. He has also demonstrated regular goal scoring ability at Portsmouth and with the Socceroos.
“It is critical for us to have a variety of players with varied capabilities to complement our form and style of play. With European group stage football and a hectic domestic schedule, he will play an important role in what we expect to be a competitive squad.”
The 6ft 2 frontman was born in Adelaide, Australia, and is of Sudanese and UK descent. He began his professional career with Adelaide Comets before moving to Adelaide United.
Kusini began his A-league career with the youth team and made his debut against Western Sydney in February 2020 at the age of 21. A year later, he scored his first goal and assisted in a 2-1 victory over local rivals Melbourne Victory. He played 27 games (14 starts) with the Reds, scoring six times, before joining Western Sydney in the summer of 2022.
Yengi, one of the league’s most intriguing talents at the time, scored important goals against Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne to assist Wanderers to a successful finish.
That form piqued the eye of foreigners, and Pompey paid an unknown fee to transport him to Fratton Park in the summer of 2023. He had an explosive start to life on the English south coast, scoring five goals in his first five appearances.
He also received his first call-up to the Australian national squad in November of that year, appearing as a second-half substitute against Bangladesh. He went on to score six goals in 11 outings for the Socceroos.
He scored 13 goals in 31 appearances for Pompey, helping them win the League One title that season. His second season in the Championship was plagued by injuries, and despite offers to stay in England or return overseas, he has decided to join his brother Teti in Scotland. Sign up for our Aberdeen F.C newsletter to receive the latest stories, transfer news, and more in your inbox.
Kusini stated, “It feels great to be an Aberdeen player, and I can’t wait to get started.”
“I’m excited to perform here for a number of years. One of the primary reasons I decided to join here was the manager’s and the staff’s excitement, which has been really beneficial.
“The proposal that was presented to me was fantastic. what the coaches and manager stand for and hope to accomplish. I was thrilled to hear that they believed they could use me as a player to benefit the club.
“I am really excited to play in those competitions and represent Aberdeen because every kid dreams of playing European football and playing for big clubs like Aberdeen.”
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