Minteh Camp Clings to Liverpool Hope as Deadline Approaches
Yankuba Minteh’s representatives are still pushing for a dramatic deadline day move to Liverpool, but the deal is hanging by a thread.
The Brighton winger has been on Liverpool’s radar throughout August, yet the trail has cooled in the last few days. Brighton want £80m for the 22-year-old Gambia international and have already turned down two bids from Merseyside, the latest around £60m.
That price tag has become a brick wall.
Agents pushing, reality resisting
Reporter Ben Jacobs told talkSPORT, via GIVEMESPORT, on Tuesday morning that Minteh’s camp “are still seeking a move to Liverpool, and they hope that it happens today.” The desire from the player’s side is clear. The problem is everything else.
Jacobs also underlined the key obstacle: Cody Gakpo is staying at Anfield. With the Dutch forward not going anywhere, the pathway for Minteh into Liverpool’s squad narrows sharply.
Liverpool have explored other options on the right flank, including Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr, while Bradley Barcola has already completed his move from Paris Saint-Germain. On top of that, Gakpo’s future now appears settled on Merseyside.
Put simply, the window for another winger to walk through is almost shut.
Liverpool’s stance: numbers, fitness and logic
Liverpool have knocked back an £80m offer from Manchester City for Gakpo in the past 24 hours, according to The Athletic. That figure matches the fee Brighton are holding out for on Minteh.
Had both deals gone through, Liverpool would essentially have swapped an in-form, fit attacker for an injured one at the same price. That equation never really added up.
Minteh is sidelined for the foreseeable future. Gakpo, by contrast, has started the season sharply, with a goal and an assist in his first two games. Offloading the Dutchman to fund a move for the Brighton winger would have been a hard sell both on the pitch and in the dressing room.
Andoni Iraola would also face a selection logjam. If Minteh arrived and none of Liverpool’s current forwards left, the manager would be juggling six senior wingers for two starting spots. It would give him depth, options, and headaches in equal measure.
Deadline drama likely to pass Minteh by
Minteh’s camp may keep pushing right up to the final hours of the window, clinging to the idea that something unexpected breaks their way. Deadline day has a habit of throwing up late twists.
This one, though, looks set to fizzle out rather than explode.
Barring a shock late turn, the 22-year-old seems destined to remain a Brighton player for the rest of 2026, watching the Liverpool move he wants stay just out of reach.
