Former Ireland U21 winger Zack Elbouzedi joins Swedish side AIK

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny with Zack Elbouzedi in 2019. Picutre: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Former Ireland U21 winger Zack Elbouzedi has travelled to Stockholm with a view to finalising his move to Swedish powerhouses AIK.

The Dubliner is set to agree a deal, understood to be for two-and-a-half years, and will hit the ground running as the Allsvenskan campaign kicked off in March.

The side – which includes Seb Larsson and Mikael Lustig from Sweden’s Euros squad – are sixth in the table after nine games.

Lincoln City, whom Elbouzedi joined from Waterford at the start of 2020, will receive a transfer fee as he is still under contract with the League One outfit.

The Dubliner shot to prominence as a key member of Ireland’s U21s during 2019, the year Stephen Kenny spent in charge before his elevation to the senior post.

Elbouzedi, back in the League of Ireland from spells at UK clubs West Bromwich Albion and Inverness, became a mainstay of Kenny’s side, scoring goals against China, Armenia and Sweden.

It was during the pair of Euro qualifiers against the Swedes that AIK boss Bartosz Grzelak first took notice of the talent, according to local social media account ‘@100%AIK’.

Elbouzedi was a livewire in both matches, leading the comebacks which resulted in 3-1 and 4-1 victories. Grzelak was then assistant to Sweden boss Roland Nilsson and in July of last year stepped up into his first senior appointment as manager of AIK.

They play in the national stadium, the Friends Arena, and have a storied history, winning 12 league titles, the most recent in 2018.

That was the year they knocked a Shamrock Rovers side, featuring a buddy Gavin Bazunu in goal, out of the Uefa Europa League.