Liverpool's Pursuit of Yankuba Minteh Intensifies
Yankuba Minteh has told both his agents and Brighton he wants Anfield.
Liverpool have already seen two bids knocked back for the winger, but the message from the player is clear: he wants the move this summer. Brighton know it. Liverpool know it. The gap now is money, not desire.
Liverpool push on for Minteh
Liverpool’s recruitment team are trying to inject more spark into Andoni Iraola’s forward line and are working on multiple fronts. Talks with Paris Saint-Germain over Bradley Barcola are well advanced, with the Frenchman a major attacking target.
At the same time, the club are driving hard for a third winger of the window. Victor Munoz is already through the door. Minteh is the next name on the list.
The 22-year-old Gambian has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time. Transfer reporter Fraser Fletcher revealed back on July 8 that Liverpool were preparing a big-money offer, and they have now tested Brighton’s resolve twice.
An opening bid of £50m was rejected. A second offer worth £60m (€70m, $82m) has also been turned down. Brighton are holding their line.
The numbers, though, show how close this is getting.
Brighton’s model meets Liverpool’s muscle
Brighton are understood to be seeking around £70m for Minteh. Reports suggest a deal could be done at roughly £66m, leaving Liverpool about £6m short of an agreement if that valuation holds.
For Brighton, that kind of figure would represent a huge return. They paid £33m to sign Minteh from Newcastle two summers ago. Doubling their money on a player with 10 goals in 73 appearances fits perfectly with the club’s buy-develop-sell model.
They have already started the next cycle. Nigerian winger Zadok Yohanna has arrived from AIK in a £21.5m deal, a move that looks very much like forward planning rather than coincidence.
And Fabian Hurzeler is not pretending otherwise.
Hurzeler braces for Minteh exit
The Brighton head coach sounded resigned to losing key players when he spoke on Friday. He did not name Minteh directly as a guaranteed departure, but the subtext was obvious.
“It’s normal if you’re successful as a team, if the team is doing well, has some good achievements, then the individual can shine, and of course, there will be a big ask for our players,” Hurzeler said.
“That’s part of our identity, part of my job here.
“It was clear to everyone that this might happen during a busy transfer window.
“We can go through now every individual player; we all know how important these kinds of players are for me.
“But we also know that good achievements, big achievements, especially in the Premier League, you create offers, you create a lot of attention.
“So we have to wait now; the situation will evolve.
“I’m not here to complain, I’m here to find solutions, and I’m convinced that, together with my players, we will find good solutions.”
The message is unmistakable: Brighton will not stand still. If Minteh goes, they move on and trust the model again.
Liverpool’s winger plan takes shape
On Merseyside, belief is growing that Minteh will be part of Iraola’s attacking rebuild. The player’s wish to join Liverpool weighs heavily in these negotiations, and Brighton’s willingness to trade at the right price is no secret.
Liverpool’s pursuit of Minteh also points to a shift elsewhere. The club had been in discussions with PSG not only for Barcola but also over teenage prospect Ibrahim Mbaye. With energy now going into Minteh and Barcola, a move for Mbaye appears to have slipped down the agenda.
One journalist even admitted he “daren’t say” what he thinks Mbaye would cost, a hint at just how steep that particular deal could become.
So Liverpool press on with the deals they believe they can land. Barcola on one side, Minteh potentially on the other, Munoz already in the building.
If Brighton and Liverpool can bridge that final £6m, a winger who has already chosen Anfield in his mind may soon have the contract to match.
