Liverpool may have to pay an unseemingly fee for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh as the Reds search for a Mohamed Salah replacement becomes increasingly more expensive
Yankuba Minteh
Yankuba Minteh is a key transfer target for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool entered the 2026 transfer window determined to add multiple wingers to replace the outgoing Mohamed Salah, who left the club for Turkish side Trabzonspor. The Reds brought in Spanish winger Victor Munoz early in the window, but have failed to secure the signature of another player since.
Talks with PSG over French international Bradley Barcola hit a stalemate, so Liverpool pivoted to Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh. Both £50 million ($68 million) and £60 million ($82 million) bids were rejected, and a report from Ben Jacobs on Tuesday evening indicated that Brighton want £80 million ($109 million) for the Gambian winger.
This is not a price Liverpool is willing to pay. Transfer Insider Fabrizio Romano explained that talks have "gone cold."
"Negotiations for Yankuba Minteh to Liverpool are not developing and have gone cold in the last 24 hours," he tweeted on Tuesday. "[Liverpool is] exploring different options for the second winger; first priority remains always Bradley Barcola."
.Minteh wouldn't be able to feature for Liverpool until October. The 22-year-old injured his ankle during a preseason friendly against Roma.
He was signed from Gambian side Steve Biko by Danish club OB before Newcastle came in with a €7 million offer in 2023. He was immediately loaned out to Feyenoord, where he impressed. The Tyneside club was forced to sell Minteh in 2024 due to FFP issues and shipped him off to Brighton.
The 22-year-old scored 10 goals and logged nine assists in 73 games for the Seagulls over the last two years. A left-footer, he can play on either wing.
Yankuba Minteh
Yankuba Minteh exited a preseason friendly for Brighton(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola admitted that his team doesn't "have enough wingers" when speaking before Sunday's 2-2 draw against Newcastle. He also added further color about the club's lack of movement in the transfer window.
"I wanted the players for the first day, July 13, everyone here, all the positions doubled, top-level players," he told reporters last week.
"But you understand how the competition works, that [the] market is open and you start the competition. We have to adapt as coaches to this situation. I hate these two weeks or these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty – but not in Liverpool, everywhere because once the market is open."
Liverpool has also been linked to PSG youngster Ibrahim Mbaye, though it's looking increasingly likely that the reigning Champions League winners are uninterested in signing for a knockdown price.