Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh back on Liverpool’s radar as Anfield hunts an out and out right winger
Since Mohamed Salah’s exit, Liverpool have gone into every window since knowing there is a specific gap on the right of their attack that has not been convincingly filled. With the summer market closing, that search appears to be moving again, this time back toward Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh. According to Foday Manneh, talks between the two clubs have been reactivated in the last day.
A Gap That Still Needs Filling
Liverpool have not been short of attacking additions since Salah left, but none of them have really been a direct like for like option on that flank. Andoni Iraola has instead spread the goalscoring burden across the front line, which has worked in patches but has not fully replaced the threat of a genuine right sided outlet. That is the specific problem Minteh’s name is being linked to solve, rather than simply adding another attacking body to the squad.
What Has Changed On Brighton’s Side
The interesting part of Manneh’s report is not that Liverpool are interested, that has been known for a while, it is that Brighton’s valuation appears to have shifted. Earlier discussions reportedly stalled over price, but Brighton are said to have come back to Liverpool with figures that are far more workable. Whether that reflects a genuine change of heart or simply Brighton reading the calendar and adjusting to the reality of a closing window is the question worth asking.
Yankuba Minteh to Liverpool; #LFC have reactivated talks with Brighton for the Gambian winger. Brighton have discussed a new price with Liverpool this morning that looks decent, and the two clubs are now in active talks to secure an…pic.twitter.com/NTvwFZgrzW
— Foday Manneh (@foday_manneh_) August 30, 2026
Can Minteh Handle The Assignment
Nobody should expect a 22-year-old to step in and immediately reproduce what Salah gave Liverpool for the best part of a decade. That is an unfair bar for almost anyone in world football. What Minteh does bring is real pace, directness and confidence taking players on, exactly the traits Iraola has looked to build his front line around. He is still developing rather than the finished article, but the raw tools are there for the right coaching environment to accelerate him.
Our Take
We think this makes sense on paper. Liverpool need a specialist on that side of the pitch, and a mobile, direct winger who fits Iraola’s approach is a sensible profile to chase rather than a panic buy. The bit we would want reassurance on is the motivation behind the movement in price. If Brighton have genuinely softened their position because they rate the deal, that is one thing. If it is purely about Liverpool circling with the deadline close, we would rather see the club show patience than get pulled into paying over the odds simply because time is short. Get the timing and the fee right and this looks like exactly the kind of signing Liverpool have been missing.