Gambian winger Yankuba Minteh may end up joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion before the summer transfer window shuts, reports indicate. The development comes not long after Manchester United managed to seal a deal for Carlos Baleba — another key player in the Seagulls' setup.
"Liverpool and Yankuba Minteh have a broad verbal agreement on contract terms as the player said yes to #LFC project. Brighton rejected £60m bid sent today but talks continue, as @foday_manneh_ reported," Fabrizio Romano had earlier said.
Brighton are convinced that Minteh will not feature for them this season and are prepared for a season without him. Under contract until 2029, the 22-year-old winger is said to be a long-term target for Liverpool. With the Bradley Barcola transfer still a long way from being done, the arrival of Minteh is definitely good news for Andoni Iraola, who has a point to prove.
The Reds had earlier submitted an opening bid worth £50 million, which was rejected by their Premier League rivals. The second bid was worth £60 million — closer to the asking price of £70 million, which has now made conversations possible, reports said. According to certain British sports outlets, it is only a matter of time before the two sides find a middle ground for the transfer. As per the popular football news portal TEAMtalk, the final price could be somewhere around £66 million.
In Baleba's case, meanwhile, United are said to have sealed the deal with an improved bid after an offer worth £65 million was rejected by Brighton.
According to reports, Brighton signing Zadok Yohanna from Swedish side AIK for a sum of £21.5 million was to ensure they can sell Minteh for profit. The African talent was also keen to join the Reds as the exit of Mohamed Salah, a Premier League legend from his continent, opened a slot on the right wing. Even if Barcola arrives, Minteh has the skill set to compete for a starting role. The left-footed star is comfortable operating on the left flank as well, making him a versatile attacking option.
Earlier, Liverpool sold midfielder Curtis Jones to Inter Milan. The 25-year-old ended a 16-year spell at Liverpool, where he joined the academy aged nine and made 228 first-team appearances after his senior debut in the 2018–19 season.
