Minteh Camp Holds Out Hope for Liverpool Move
Yankuba Minteh’s representatives are refusing to give up on a deadline-day move to Liverpool, even as the deal drifts towards the unlikely.
The Brighton winger has been on Liverpool’s radar throughout August, with the Seagulls digging in hard over an £80m valuation. Two bids from Merseyside have already been turned away, the latest worth around £60m, and Brighton have shown no sign of softening their stance.
Agents pushing, reality biting
Reporter Ben Jacobs told talkSPORT that Minteh’s camp are still actively pushing for Liverpool to move, and are holding out hope that something breaks before the 11pm deadline. The desire on the player’s side is clear.
The obstacle is just as clear. Cody Gakpo is staying.
Jacobs underlined that the Dutch forward’s decision to remain at Anfield makes a late move for Minteh highly improbable, with Liverpool unlikely to sanction a huge outlay on another right-sided attacker under those circumstances.
Gakpo decision changes the picture
In the last 24 hours, Liverpool have rejected an £80m bid from Manchester City for Gakpo, according to The Athletic. Had they accepted, the money coming in from City could effectively have funded a move for Minteh at the same price.
But Liverpool said no.
It is not hard to see why. Minteh is currently sidelined with an injury and is expected to be out for the foreseeable future. Gakpo, by contrast, has started the season sharply, with a goal and an assist from his first two games. Trading a fit, in-form forward for an injured one at identical fees would be a hard sell in any recruitment meeting.
Winger logjam at Anfield
There is also the simple matter of numbers. Liverpool have already looked at Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr as an alternative right-sided option, and Bradley Barcola has completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain, shrinking the pool of elite wide forwards realistically on the move.
On top of that, Gakpo’s decision to stay means Andoni Iraola is already well stocked in the wide areas. If Minteh arrived without any departures, Liverpool would be left with six senior wingers contesting two starting spots. It would be a dream for rotation, less so for dressing-room harmony.
Given that context, a big-money move for another winger on deadline day feels like a luxury, not a necessity.
Hope against the clock
Minteh’s agents are expected to keep pushing in the final hours, clinging to the chaos that deadline day can sometimes unleash. Shock exits, late bids, sudden injuries – the market has a habit of flipping when everyone thinks it’s settled.
Right now, though, all logic points in one direction. With Gakpo staying, Liverpool turning down £80m, and Brighton holding firm at the same price for an injured player, the odds of Minteh walking out at Anfield tonight look slim.
Barring a dramatic twist, the 22-year-old seems set to remain a Brighton player for the rest of 2026. The question is whether this was Liverpool’s moment to move for him – or just the first chapter in a longer transfer chase.
