**Liverpool pivot to Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh as Yan Diomande alternative in search for Mohamed Salah successor**
The task of replacing Mohamed Salah was always going to be the defining challenge of Liverpool’s summer recruitment strategy. The Egyptian’s departure has left a gaping, unenviable void on the right flank unbelievably short on elite production out wide for a squad that already lacked depth in that specific area.
Liverpool’s primary solution was no secret. The club had been uncharacteristically public in their pursuit of Lyon’s Ivorian winger [Yan Diomande](https://live4liverpool.com/breaking-yan-diomande-snubs-liverpool-transfer-to-agree-5-year-psg-contract/). He was viewed inside the AXA Training Centre as the dream signing a rare bridge between an unproven young talent and a forward already delivering high-level output in a major league.
However, with RB Leipzig maintaining an stubborn stance throughout protracted negotiations, the landscape shifted dramatically. Diomande has opted to join Paris Saint-Germain, leaving Liverpool’s recruitment team scrambling to assess their secondary options in a remarkably shallow market.
There is an enormous, challenging gap between the truly elite, unattainable right wingers in world football and the rest of the field. While the opposite flank boasts plenty of high-potential young options in the mold of Kenan Yildiz, Alberto Moleiro, Bazoumana Touré, and Said El Mala, options on the right are scarce.
It leaves Liverpool with a clear choice: opt for an established, short-term stop-gap like Jarrod Bowen or Harry Wilson, or take a calculated risk on a high-ceiling youngster who can be molded into a superstar.
### The Slot connection and the £40m target
In that regard, Yankuba Minteh has emerged as the most viable and realistic target on Liverpool’s shortlist. _The Athletic_understands that senior figures at Anfield view the Brighton & Hove Albion winger as a primary alternative to Diomande, with a budget of £40 million ($52 million) effectively allocated to secure his services.
Minteh is a player well known to Liverpool’s coaching staff. The 21-year-old Gambian international enjoyed a highly productive spell under Arne Slot at Feyenoord during the 2023-24 campaign, registering 16 goal contributions in 37 appearances in the Netherlands.
That development paved the way for his move to Brighton from Newcastle United in the summer of 2024, where his trajectory has continued upward. Minteh has since scored 10 goals and provided nine assists for the Seagulls, notably tormenting the Liverpool defence during Brighton’s 2-1 victory over the Reds back in March.
Crucially for Liverpool, he is not yet deemed an indispensable, guaranteed starter on the south coast, which significantly aids his availability in this window.
The dilemma now facing Liverpool’s sporting hierarchy is one of timing. They hold the financial muscle to wait six months or a year to see if the market opens up for an established elite figure. But if they want to address the void on the right flank immediately, Minteh represents the highest-potential option currently available on the circuit.
A clear valuation set, this is a deal that suddenly feels immeasurably more possible. Watch this space.