Born on the 25th of July 1998, Jesper Karlsson is a Swedish footballer plying his trade as a left winger for Aberdeen. At the age of 27, Karlsson stands at 5ft 10in (1.78m) and weighs 11st 2lb (71kg). Distinguished by his number 17 jersey, Karlsson has built a reputable career in football since his professional debut.
Currently, this forward has a market value of approximately £3.5m, according to Transfermarkt.
Karlsson’s career set sail in January 2016 when he joined Falkenbergs FF in the Superettan league in his home country, initially as a trainee. His debut season saw him make 26 first team appearances, from which he netted seven goals. It wasn’t long before his performances caught the eye of bigger clubs, and in January 2017, he made a move to IF Elfsborg in the Allsvenskan league.
During his tenure at IF Elfsborg, Karlsson's remarkable performances manifested in a total of 25 first team appearances and eight goals in his 2019 season, followed by 22 appearances and an impressive 11 goals in his 2020 season.
In September 2020, a fee of approximately £2.1m prompted a shift from Sweden to the Netherlands, where Karlsson featured for AZ in the renowned Eredivisie league. While there, he made significant contributions to the team and by the 2021/2022 season, he had an impressive 34 first team appearances and 15 goals under his belt.
Karlsson's exploits in the field didn’t go unnoticed, and by August 2023 he had signed for Bologna, a Serie A club in Italy. The move was brokered at a transaction value of around £8.2m. However, he only made a handful of appearances for the club.
Following a loan stint at Lecce in the same league, in the January 2025 transfer window, Karlsson returned to Bologna. His career appeared somewhat static at this point, with limited game time and a single goal to his name.
In September 2025, Karlsson proceeded to join Aberdeen in Scotland's Premiership as a loanee. His current season with Aberdeen has been fruitful so far, as evidenced by his seven first team appearances and two goals scored in the league. Beyond league matches, Karlsson has also made his mark in the League Cup 2025/2026 with a start and in the Conference League, where he netted a goal across three starts.
