Liverpool are now reportedly keen on making a move for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, potentially seeing him as an ideal Mohamed Salah successor.
There are now genuine question marks about Salah being past his peak, with the Egyptian a shadow of his former self so far this season, looking out of sorts in last weekend’s 3-0 defeat away to Manchester City in the Premier League.
While there is still every chance that the 33-year-old could return to his best once domestic action is back later this month, his age means that successors need to be looked at sooner rather than later.
According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are keen on signing Minteh from Brighton, with the Gambian attacker valued at as much as £70m by the Seagulls.
The 21-year-old is contracted at the Amex Stadium until the summer of 2029, which explains why big money will be required to prise him away.
Minteh an exciting Salah replacement for Liverpool
Minteh is a player with so much potential who could be a potential weapon for Liverpool, being hailed as “fantastic” by scout Jacek Kulig and also being lauded by journalist Pete O’Rourke:
“Minteh is a very exciting player, one of the most exciting players in the Premier League on his day. Obviously there is the obvious links with Arne Slot, having worked with him in his final season in charge of Feyenoord as well. (It is) no surprise that maybe Liverpool are looking at him. Obviously, there’s the ongoing speculation of looking for a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.”
At 21, Minted is 12 years Salah’s junior and a player with vast potential, and while he is still raw in terms of consistency, he has the pace, directness and unpredictability to increasingly be a nightmare for opposition defenders as the years pass.
If Liverpool were able to sign the Brighton ace and also keep hold of Salah for one more year, they could battle each other for playing time, taking some of the burden off the Reds legend and allowing his possible new teammate the chance to learn from a true great of the game.