Fabian Hürzeler's Message to Yankuba Minteh: Stay Focused
Fabian Hürzeler has sent a pointed message to Yankuba Minteh: think hard before you walk away.
The Brighton head coach knows the winger is in demand. He also knows exactly why. Liverpool, fresh from cashing in on Mohamed Salah’s legacy era and rebuilding their forward line, have circled, stepped back, and may yet come again.
Liverpool circle as Brighton dig in
Liverpool’s attack is being rebuilt on the fly. Salah has gone after nine glittering years, and Anfield wants star power back on the flanks. On Thursday morning, the club finally thrashed out a £120m agreement with PSG for Bradley Barcola, a statement move that immediately raised the next question: who comes in on the opposite wing?
Ibrahim Mbaye was on the radar, but Liverpool refused to bow to PSG’s demands for a second unsettled player. Attention turned south to Brighton and Minteh, the 20-year-old whose explosive rise has made him one of the Premier League’s most coveted young wide men.
Negotiations started. Two bids went in. The second climbed beyond £60m (€70m, $81m). Brighton barely blinked. The response was an £80m (€93m, $109m) valuation that left Liverpool hesitating and, for a moment at least, cooling their interest.
Yet Hürzeler is not convinced the story ends there.
“Rumours. Rumours. Let’s see what happens,” he said in his press conference, refusing to close the door on Liverpool’s pursuit.
‘Understand what you have here’
If that sounded relaxed, the rest of his message to Minteh was anything but. Hürzeler leaned hard into what Brighton believe they offer that others do not.
“Another example of a player who benefits from the success of the team,” he said. “He benefits, for example, from the hard work of Pascal [Gross], hard work from Jack Hinshelwood, hard work from all the other players. And he knows it.”
This was not a casual reminder. It was a warning against taking Brighton for granted.
“Therefore I also think it’s important to understand as a player what you have here, playing for a club like Brighton.
You have a club that gives you the chance, you team-mates who are really trying to push you, you have a club that is there for you also in tough moments.”
Hürzeler reached for recent history to make his point. Carlos Baleba, now a Manchester United signing, went through difficult spells at Brighton. Minteh has had his own rough patches. Both, he stressed, were protected and developed.
“[New Man Utd signing] Carlos Baleba had so many tough moments when he was here; Minteh also had tough moments, but we were always there for them, always tried to help them; their teammates are there for them.”
Brighton see themselves as a launchpad, but also as a place where young players are allowed to fail, learn and then fly. Hürzeler is determined that Minteh recognises that before chasing the next big move.
Selling club, strong stance
Hürzeler has never hidden from Brighton’s reality. They sell. They have to. But they do it on their terms.
“So I think it’s also important for the players to understand what they have here with this club, how the fans are connected, how we are working together,” he said. “It’s difficult to find a similar environment, or better environment, for potential young players.”
The success of the team has thrown a spotlight on Minteh. That, Hürzeler accepts, is the trade-off: Brighton win, and their best youngsters end up on the market.
“But the same with Minteh, we were successful as a team; that brings attention to him, so let’s see what happens.
If you ask me if I’ll try to convince him to stay, yes, I try to convince him to stay. But can I control everything? No, I can’t control everything.”
He knows the hierarchy will ultimately decide. He also knows Liverpool are still hovering.
Liverpool not done yet?
Hürzeler’s language around Liverpool was careful but telling. The door is open to talks, but his demand is clear: commitment from Minteh until the moment a deal is done.
“From my perspective, Minteh, he’s a Brighton player; he needs to commit to this club,” he said.
“Because he knows that these rumours only come because he benefits from everything here.
“From how he’s been worked with, how he’s been protected from everyone, how he’s been developed. So I think that’s also important for him.”
Then came the line that will interest Liverpool most.
“Then in the end, we all know, everyone knows, how the football business works. Let’s see the ideas from Liverpool.
“We have a clear idea how we want to go forward, but we have a lot of things in our hands regarding this player.
“But in the end, there’s Tony [Bloom, owner], there’s Paul [Barber, CEO], together with them we try to make the right decision.”
Brighton hold the contract. Liverpool hold the money. Minteh holds the ambition. Somewhere in that triangle lies the answer.
Sarr ruled out, Gakpo on alert
One thing has already been cleared up. Ismaila Sarr will not be the man to fill Liverpool’s remaining wide berth. Reports of a bid for the Senegal international have been played down, with sources dismissing the idea that the Reds have seen an offer turned away.
The path, then, looks straightforward: Barcola through the door, and Minteh as the preferred second winger if Liverpool and Brighton can find common ground on that £80m price.
If that happens, the knock-on effect at Anfield could be brutal for some. Cody Gakpo, already battling for minutes across the front line, would suddenly find two big-money wingers dropped either side of him in the pecking order.
For now, Minteh remains Brighton’s player, urged by his manager to appreciate what he has. The question is simple: does he stay in an environment built around his growth, or gamble on becoming the next big name in Liverpool’s post-Salah rebuild?
