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£50m bid rejected
Liverpool’s pursuit of wide attackers hit a wall when Brighton & Hove Albion rejected a £50m bid for Yankuba Minteh, with David Ornstein writing that “Liverpool made offer in recent days to sign Yankuba Minteh from Brighton & Hove Albion.”
“Liverpool made offer in recent days to sign Yankuba Minteh from Brighton & Hove Albion.”
Ornstein added that the “bid worth £50m turned down,” while Liverpool’s wider recruitment push continued around Andoni Iraola’s squad and the pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
The Guardian said Liverpool were looking to add two wide forwards before the transfer deadline and that Brighton had rebuffed the approach for the 22-year-old winger.
Minteh’s availability is a key complication in the negotiations, with the Guardian reporting he was recovering from surgery after a leg injury in a pre-season friendly against Roma and “could be sidelined for another eight weeks.”
Injury and shortlist
The Guardian linked the Minteh pursuit to Liverpool’s search for width after Mohamed Salah’s departure, noting that PSG’s £145m valuation of Barcola forced Liverpool to consider alternative wide options including Ibrahim Mbaye.
Liverpool’s interest in Minteh also intersects with other transfer movement, with the Guardian reporting that Curtis Jones was given permission to undergo a medical in Italy after Liverpool agreed a £30m deal with Inter for the midfielder.
The New York Times said Minteh was “expected to be out of action for another eight weeks,” and described him as one of several wingers Liverpool are tracking.
It also reported that the Athletic said Minteh is “keen on the potential move if the clubs can agree a fee,” even as he recovers from surgery on a right leg injury sustained in a 3-0 friendly win at home to Roma earlier this month.
What happens next
With Brighton turning down the £50m offer, Liverpool’s next steps remain unresolved as the Guardian said it “remains to be seen whether Liverpool increase their offer for the Gambia international.”
“remains to be seen whether Liverpool increase their offer for the Gambia international”
The Liverpool Echo framed the rejection as part of a broader ramp-up in the winger search, saying Liverpool have “now tabled an opening offer for the Gambia international after shortlisting him earlier this year.”
The New York Times added that Minteh’s potential would be a loss for Brighton after Danny Welbeck moved to Chelsea and with Kaoru Mitoma currently injured, while it also noted Minteh has contributed nine goals and eight assists in 66 Premier League outings for Brighton since a £30m move from Newcastle United in the summer of 2024.
For Liverpool, the stakes are tied to filling the right-sided void after Salah’s exit, with the Athletic’s reporting cited by the New York Times describing adding wide options as a priority and noting Liverpool have signed Spain international Victor Munoz.