Why Liverpool Walked Away From Yankuba Minteh Transfer

Liverpool’s pursuit of Yankuba Minteh appears to have been far more advanced than another piece of summer transfer speculation. According to Gambian journalist Foday Manneh, speaking to Sports Witness, the Brighton winger had been under serious consideration at Anfield for almost a year.

What ultimately stopped the transfer offers an interesting insight into Liverpool’s thinking, particularly as the club attempted to reshape an attack that had already lost Mohamed Salah.

Minteh Identified as Salah Successor

Manneh says Liverpool’s interest began as early as October 2025.

“Liverpool’s interest goes back to October 2025,” he explained.

“Liverpool were keen and were looking at him as the potential replacement of the departing Mo Salah.”

“From that instant, Liverpool started looking for Salah’s replacement and Yankuba was one of the profiles they were looking at.”

That timeline matters. Minteh was apparently part of a planned recruitment process rather than somebody Liverpool discovered when their preferred options disappeared.

“Somewhere around February-March, they initiated their first contact with the player’s camp to officially register their interest,” Manneh said.

For Liverpool, that suggests months of scouting, analysis and discussions had taken place before the transfer window reached its decisive stages.

Brighton Valuation Complicates Liverpool Pursuit

According to the report, Liverpool offered £60 million before Brighton indicated they would consider approximately £70m, with an August 25 deadline.

“Yes, Brighton were considering around £70m,” Manneh said.

“If Liverpool could have provided that at the time, they would consider selling the player.”

Liverpool did not meet that deadline. Brighton subsequently increased their valuation to £80m, prompting Liverpool to inform the south coast club “it’s too much and they can’t reach £80m, especially since he’s injured.”

That sequence inevitably raises questions. Had Liverpool moved more decisively at £70m, perhaps Minteh would now be at Anfield. Yet the picture changed considerably once the winger suffered a foot injury requiring surgery.

Injury Changed Liverpool’s Calculation

“The injury, I think even at the last hours of the transfer, was now the much concern to Liverpool, not even the asking price anymore,” Manneh said.

“They explored again to say right now the player is injured, how soon he will return and then start counting on him.”

“That was the main challenge.”

“No longer about price, it was about the injury.”

There is logic to that caution. Liverpool were attempting to replace a hugely important attacking presence and spending more than £70m on a player expected to miss two to three months would have left Andoni Iraola waiting for a major signing he could not immediately use.

Manneh believes Liverpool might otherwise have completed the transfer.

“If it wasn’t for the injury, the Reds were willing now to raise their offer again and then go for the player, considering the fact that they couldn’t have a much better option in the market.”

“I’m sure they would have got to £72-75m for him, but the injury played a huge part.”

Liverpool’s interest therefore feels significant beyond one unsuccessful summer pursuit. Minteh was identified early, contact was established and considerable money was apparently available. Whether Liverpool return once his fitness is established could become one of the more intriguing transfer questions to follow.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, there is plenty here to think about.

The most fascinating element is the length of Liverpool’s interest. If Minteh was being assessed from October 2025 as a possible Salah successor, this was clearly a player recruitment staff rated extremely highly.

There will naturally be some frustration around the £70m stage. Liverpool apparently had an opportunity to reach Brighton’s valuation before the deadline, chose not to do so, then watched the situation become more complicated. Supporters have seen enough transfer windows to know how quickly leverage can disappear.

The injury changes the conversation significantly, though. Paying somewhere around £75m for a winger recovering from surgery would have represented a considerable gamble, particularly when Iraola needed players capable of contributing immediately.

What happens next should tell us more.

If Minteh returns, performs strongly for Brighton and Liverpool maintain their interest, this could easily become a transfer story that resurfaces. The groundwork appears to have been substantial and the player seemingly fitted the profile Liverpool wanted.

For now, it looks less like Liverpool abandoned their interest in Minteh and more like circumstances made completing the transfer difficult to justify. That distinction makes his progress at Brighton particularly worth watching.