Liverpool are planning their subsequent step in the pursuit of Yankuba Minteh – notwithstanding a highly unusual complication.
The Merseyside club kicked off their Premier League campaign with a frustrating stalemate at St. James’ Park, where Dominik Szoboszlai rescued a draw for the visitors by converting a late penalty against a resilient Newcastle United side.
Nevertheless, despite urging for the hierarchy to recruit defensive reinforcements – notably from iconic former defender Jamie Carragher during his appearance on Monday Night Football, where he questioned his old team’s display – Liverpool remain determined to secure a pair of wide attackers before the market closes in seven days, identifying Minteh as their primary target for the right flank.
Liverpool remain keen on Yankuba Minteh – regardless of ‘strange’ hurdle
The Reds have already seen a pair of offers turned down for Yankuba Minteh over the course of the past week.
The Gambian international has emerged as the primary candidate to eventually succeed Mohamed Salah on the right wing, with reports from TEAMtalk indicating that the Anfield club are debating whether to raise their offer to at least £65 million.
Nonetheless, the ongoing pursuit has been characterized as “strange” after reporter Florian Plettenberg disclosed on X (previously Twitter) that Minteh faces a spell on the sidelines of at least two months.
The Brighton & Hove Albion attacker sustained the physical setback during an exhibition match against Roma and was absent from his team’s comprehensive home victory over Aston Villa, with Plettenberg highlighting that it could take up to a quarter of a year for him to regain peak conditioning post-injury.
Considering the lack of cohesion displayed by Liverpool in their stalemate on Tyneside, this injury update presents a setback for newly appointed boss Andoni Iraola, who is eager to adapt his players to his tactical philosophy and elevate their performance levels rapidly.
Promising talent Rio Ngumoha was deployed out of his natural role on the right flank at Newcastle, while Liverpool faced unresolved tactical dilemmas regarding their attacking full-backs, a shortage of defensive midfield options, managing the physical decline of veteran defender Virgil van Dijk, and determining the optimal role for expensive midfielder Florian Wirtz.
According to sources at FourFourTwo, an offer in the region of £70m would prompt Brighton to sell, a valuation that was supported by reporter Ben Jacobs during an appearance on TalkSPORT.
“Concerning Minteh, discussions took place over the weekend,” he stated, noting, “A decision is being made today, so things could develop rapidly regarding their intention to submit a third proposal.”
“Should they reach the £70m mark, the transfer will be finalized, based on indications from Brighton. However, I believe Liverpool may test the waters with a £65m bid initially.”
The winger is currently valued at €45m by Transfermarkt. Meanwhile, Liverpool are scheduled to face Nottingham Forest when domestic league fixtures resume next week.
