Liverpool Bid for Yankuba Minteh Rejected by Brighton

Brighton has turned down a £60 million bid from Liverpool for winger Yankuba Minteh, following a previous unsuccessful attempt by the Reds with a £50 million offer. The proposal fell short of Brighton’s valuation for the 22-year-old.

Currently, Minteh is unavailable due to an injury that is likely to keep him on the sidelines until October. Brighton also faces challenges with Kaoru Mitoma, who has been out since May due to a hamstring issue.

In addition to Minteh, Brighton is in negotiations with Manchester United regarding the sale of Carlos Baleba, with reports suggesting that a deal worth over £60 million is approaching completion.

Liverpool has prioritized adding depth to their wide-forward positions in this transfer window, having already secured Victor Munoz from Osasuna earlier. With this focus, Minteh remains an attractive option among others the Reds are exploring.

Another forward Liverpool has been monitoring is Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, though PSG’s valuation of £145 million presents a significant hurdle for the club.

Brighton’s manager, Fabian Hurzeler, commented on the situation, acknowledging that it’s typical for players from successful teams to attract interest from bigger clubs. Minteh and Baleba have become the latest in a line of Brighton players sought after in the transfer market, following the departures of Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham and Danny Welbeck to Chelsea in the same window.

As Brighton gears up for their season opener against Aston Villa on Sunday, Hurzeler emphasized, “We know in general, all the players who there are rumours about are important players, they’ve been part of the journey over the last two years.” He added, “It’s normal that if a team is doing well, then there will be a big ask for players. That’s part of my job here, it’s part of our identity.”

He further stated, “We can go through every individual player, we know how important they are but we know good achievements, big achievements, you create a lot of attention and therefore we have to wait now. The situation will evolve. I’m not here to complain, I’m here to find solutions.”