“What God has decided for me…” Yankuba Minteh declared over his failed move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.
The Merseysiders were understood to be firmly interested in the Gambian’s services this summer, with recruitment keen to add a naturally right-sided winger to the ranks following Mo Salah’s departure.
Richard Hughes and Co. did manage to negotiate PSG down on their initially astronomical asking price for Bradley Barcola, but there was no such luck to be had in talks with the Seagulls – who quoted the Reds, and held firm, at a lofty £80m.
Could Yankuba Minteh become a live option in January?
There will inevitably be some Liverpool fans disappointed with these fresh comments from Minteh to the Gambian press: “I am focused. I am in Brighton. That is the team I am playing for. That is my team and I don’t want to talk much about transfers. What God has decided for me, I am happy with it. “I am really, really eager to come back and help my team because they are doing good at the moment but if I come back, I will do my best to help them.”
🇬🇲 Yankuba Minteh breaks silence on his failed summer transfer move to #LFC from Brighton via Momodo S. Jallow of GRTS.
“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈… pic.twitter.com/ukCigXXYYt
— Foday Manneh (@foday_manneh_) September 27, 2026
But realistically, what else is the 22-year-old supposed to say? ‘I’m devastated the move fell apart? I can’t believe my current employers would set such a ridiculous asking price at a time when every other club was setting ridiculous asking prices for their key wingers?’
And it’s not like Brighton haven’t done right by their man, bringing him into the fold in the Premier League – the top-flight with the most eyes on it in world football – and handing him plenty in the way of developmental minutes.
However, that’s not to suggest either Liverpool or Yankuba Minteh will have given up on the prospect of his transfer becoming a live issue once again in the middle of the season.
Of course, from our perspective, and perhaps even Andoni Iraola’s, it will depend greatly on how the frontline is shaping up without a naturally right-sided winger. Can Rio Ngumoha, Victor Munoz, Cody Gakpo and Bradley Barcola show evidence that they can be frequently relied on in an unnatural position? You get the sense the Basque would absolutely carry on with this strategy even if Liverpool had got their man in the summer, but there’s no question there’d be a lot less eyebrow-raising over the department with a player of Minteh’s profile in the mix. Right-sided and left-footed.
It’s currently a big miss in the squad, if you ask us.
When will Liverpool see Minteh next?
Yankuba Minteh was a little cryptic about when he could be returning from injury: “Very soon, very soon.”
One report from local outlet Sussex World shared the “hope” is that the Gambian could be back to face Sunderland (10th October) after the international break. On that basis, Liverpool fans should then be treated to more than a glimpse of the attacker in Brighton’s visit to Anfield towards the tail-end of October.
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