Liverpool pull out of Yankuba Minteh deal after stunning £80m late twist

Liverpool make definitive Yankuba Minteh decision after Brighton set astronomical £80m price tag

Liverpool have decided against pursuing a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh after being hit with an £80 million asking price, sources indicate.

Reports emerging on Tuesday evening suggest the Reds have stepped away from negotiations for the 22-year-old Gambian international. Anfield chiefs had previously seen two formal offers valued at £50m and £60m knocked back by the Seagulls as they sought to bolster their wide attacking options ahead of the transfer deadline.

All the signs suggested that Minteh was going to be a Liverpool player by the end of the transfer window. The Reds had seen two bids rejected by Brighton over the previous week, and it seemed like only a matter of time before the two clubs agreed on a fee.

There were many doubts over this potential signing when the news broke that the 22-year-old could be moving to Merseyside, fans would not see the Minteh until November as he is injured for 8 weeks.

The Gambia international picked up a injury in Brighton's pre-season friendly against Roma, so the winger was never going to be a player to come straight into the starting line-up.

All those issues seem to be irrelevant now as according to Ben Jacobs, the Reds are not willing to match the £80 million price tag that has been set on Brighton's no. 11.

Now that it seems the Reds will turn their attention to alternative options, with one week left in the transfer window Richard Hughes will have to move fast in the limited amount of time remaining.

The club may revisit their interest in Senegalese forward Ibrahim Mbaye, after deciding that his valuation was also too high. It has been no secret that Liverpool want two wingers through the door, but with time running out and neither Bradley Barcola or a second winger signed, fans are starting to get concerned over the lack of business.

Minteh was seen as a great profile to bring into the club: a press-heavy, left-footed right winger, the type of player Liverpool’s frontline is lacking. On paper, it seemed that the Gambia international was the closest type of attacker to Mohamed Salah that the Reds could find.

With the Brighton forward no longer an option, it will be interesting to see the direction the club pivot in from here. Or if they turn their full attention to getting Barcola over the line, then attending to the right-forward position later in the week.

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