Liverpool have had two bids rejected for Yankuba Minteh this summer, but personal terms are already agreed and the Gambian winger wants the move to Anfield, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Reds’ opening £50 million offer was turned down by Brighton, and an improved £60 million proposal met the same fate on Friday. Brighton have made clear they want closer to £70 million to sanction the sale.
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Minteh is currently out injured after undergoing surgery on a right leg problem picked up in a pre-season friendly against Roma, and he is not expected to return to action until October at the earliest.
That has not stopped Liverpool pushing to get a deal done before the transfer window closes on September 1, with the 22-year-old seen as an option to replace Mohamed Salah on the right flank alongside a separate pursuit of Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
Minteh’s proposed exit would be the latest in a summer of major departures from the Amex Stadium, and it is against that backdrop that Brighton chairman Tony Bloom has moved to reassure supporters over the club’s direction.
Writing in the first matchday programme of the season against Aston Villa, Bloom told fans that the club would keep innovating even as it loses key personnel.
“We believe there is more to come and we must continue challenging ourselves to improve both on and off the pitch,” he said.
“We know there are many clubs with similar ambitions and, in some cases, greater resources. That means we cannot afford to stand still.
“We must continue to evolve, invest and innovate while remaining true to the principles that have brought us this far. We have never been afraid to think differently and that mindset will remain crucial as we look to the future.”
Brighton have already sanctioned a raft of exits this summer.
Jan Paul van Hecke left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £52 million deal, Danny Welbeck joined Chelsea, and Joel Veltman departed for West Ham United on a free transfer. Adam Webster and Solly March both left without new contracts after lengthy injury problems.
Two more significant departures now look set to follow.
Carlos Baleba is heading to Manchester United after the clubs agreed a deal worth up to £70 million, including £65 million guaranteed and £5 million in add-ons, with a sell-on clause also inserted.
The Cameroon international is expected to sign a five-year contract at Old Trafford once he completes his medical, though he is not due to be fit until around mid-September because of an ankle injury sustained in pre-season.
Minteh’s expected departure to Liverpool would bring Brighton’s combined incoming fees for the pair to close to £150 million, should the winger’s transfer be completed at Brighton’s asking price.
Liverpool have also seen the pursuit as separate to their interest in Barcola, with the two deals viewed as complementary rather than alternatives as Andoni Iraola looks to add two wingers before the deadline.