Brighton reject Liverpool’s improved £60m bid for Yankuba Minteh
Liverpool pursues winger reinforcements
Brighton have rejected an improved offer of £60m from Liverpool for winger Yankuba Minteh. This follows an earlier £50m bid that was also turned down. Discussions between the clubs are ongoing, with Brighton reportedly seeking a fee closer to £70m for the 22-year-old Gambia international.
The pursuit of Minteh comes as Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola indicated a need for more wingers ahead of the new season. Minteh, who joined Brighton from Newcastle for £30m in 2024, primarily plays on the right wing. He has recorded 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances for Brighton. Currently, Minteh is sidelined with an injury that is expected to keep him out until October.
Liverpool’s efforts to strengthen their wide attacking areas also include exploring a move for Paris St-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye. However, PSG teammate Bradley Barcola remains Liverpool’s primary target, though PSG’s £145m valuation is a complicating factor, as Liverpool is not currently willing to meet that figure.
Manager addresses squad needs and transfer market
Iraola has spoken about the challenges of the transfer window, noting the uncertainty during the final weeks. He expressed a desire to have all players in place from the first day of pre-season but acknowledged the reality of the open market. The manager stated that the team needs to adapt to the situation, particularly given the ongoing transfer activity.
The manager highlighted the specific need for wingers, stating that the club does not have enough players for those positions. He also mentioned the importance of being open-minded in the market to find players who can genuinely improve the squad, rather than just signing players for the sake of it. Iraola emphasized that to improve a squad already containing very good players, new additions need to be of a specific level.
Since Iraola took over from Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach, the club has made several signings. These include Victor Munoz for £34.5m and Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona. Additionally, French centre-half Jeremy Jacquet joined from Rennes in a £60m deal that was agreed upon in January.
Regarding player departures, Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all left the club over the summer. Curtis Jones is also in Italy to finalise a £30m move to Inter Milan. Iraola commented on Jones’s situation, indicating that while it was not yet official, the outcome was anticipated, and he understood the player’s decision, despite valuing him highly.
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler commented on the interest in his players, stating it is normal for players to be linked with moves given the club’s recent success. He acknowledged that players like Minteh and Carlos Baleba are attracting attention, following the earlier departures of Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham and Danny Welbeck to Chelsea. Hurzeler noted that if a team performs well, there will be demand for its players, and his role involves finding solutions in such situations.
Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes has overseen a summer that has seen the club struggle to secure top targets. The club’s need for a winger became more pronounced after the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich last summer and the mutual termination of Mohamed Salah’s contract this summer. The club’s efforts to rebuild the squad around players like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have faced challenges, with Wirtz not fully delivering and Isak spending much of the season injured. The current situation suggests that Liverpool will begin the season with a weaker squad than the one that concluded the previous season.
The club’s perceived desperation in the transfer market is believed to be contributing to high valuations for their targets. Minteh’s statistics from last season, which include three goals and four assists in 36 appearances for Brighton, with a goal involvement every 350 minutes, have been noted in discussions surrounding the transfer fee. Iraola has reiterated that Liverpool will sign some players and that some deals may require waiting until the end of the transfer window, which concludes on September 1.
Source: bbc.com
