Liverpool's £70million Dilemma: The Minteh Chase
Liverpool are staring at a £70million question as their search for Mohamed Salah’s long-term heir collides with a hardline stance from Brighton over Yankuba Minteh.
The window is running out of road. The problem isn’t.
Minteh chase hits crunch point
Liverpool have already seen two bids – £50million and £60million – rejected by Brighton for Minteh, who produced 17 Premier League goal contributions last season. Brighton are holding firm. The message is simple: it will take a fee north of £70million to even start a serious conversation.
That figure has given Liverpool pause.
Ben Jacobs reports that “fresh talks” are ongoing between the clubs, with Liverpool now weighing up whether to go again or walk away. The stakes are obvious. Minteh is being lined up as a potential successor to perhaps the greatest player in the club’s modern history, yet his price tag is already brushing elite territory for a winger with just one productive Premier League campaign behind him.
Victor Munoz has already arrived and made an instant impact, winning a penalty on debut in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle. Even so, Liverpool have continued to work on wide options, with the plan always leaning towards adding two forwards if the market allowed it. Minteh, Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye have all been in the frame.
Now the Minteh deal sits at a crossroads. Pay Brighton’s premium or pivot again.
Mbaye deal stalls over PSG demands
One of those pivots had led Liverpool towards Ibrahim Mbaye – but that trail has cooled fast.
Paris Saint-Germain’s valuation has turned the Reds away, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that the Champions League holders’ demands are currently beyond what Liverpool are prepared to sanction.
“For Ibrahim Mbaye, appreciated, yes, talks, yes, but other clubs could jump on the opportunity because Liverpool at the moment considered Paris Saint-Germain’s price too high for Ibrahim Mbaye,” Romano said on YouTube.
Reports elsewhere put PSG’s asking price starting at around €70million (£60m). Liverpool are not alone in stepping back at that level, and it has effectively shut down one of their most active winger pursuits of the summer.
So the picture is clear. Mbaye too expensive. Minteh very expensive. Barcola monitored. Munoz already through the door. And the Salah succession plan still not fully written.
Three elite midfielders assessed – and passed over
While the focus has been on the forward line, Liverpool have quietly made another major call: they will not sign a replacement for Curtis Jones this summer.
Jones is heading to Inter Milan, and early in the window Andoni Iraola did not hide his concern about losing such a key squad player without proper cover. According to TEAMtalk insider Graeme Bailey, the new Liverpool boss initially pushed for reinforcements in the middle of the park.
“Before pre-season I am told that Andoni Iraola, aware of the Curtis Jones situation, was worried about the depth – one reason he wanted Jones to stay,” Bailey said.
“Iraola also wanted work done on other options and we can confirm that was the case.”
Liverpool’s recruitment team cast the net wide. They looked closely at the situations of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. All three were discussed. None were deemed the right fit in terms of deal, timing or overall package.
Attention then shifted to a younger bracket. Adam Wharton, Alex Scott and Lamine Camara were all heavily assessed and impressed those inside Anfield.
“But the likes of Adam Wharton, Alex Scott and Lamine Camara – very good young players – have been assessed and they like what they have seen and heard, but we are talking £50, £60 or even more than £70million in terms of deals,” Bailey explained.
Once again, the numbers bit hard. To reshape the midfield in the wake of Jones’ departure would have meant another huge outlay on top of the ongoing wide-forward search. Liverpool chose a different route.
Nyoni changes the plan
That route has a name: Trey Nyoni.
The 17-year-old has forced his way into Iraola’s thinking so emphatically that Liverpool now believe they can ride this season without a big-money midfield signing.
“Then in comes Nyoni and he has blown Iraola away, they firmly believe he is first-team ready and can compete with the likes of [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Ryan] Gravenberch and [Alexis] Mac Allister – they really see that as a midfield four and they even have Endo still around,” Bailey added.
It is a huge show of faith in a teenager, but also a clear statement of how Liverpool intend to balance their books and their squad. Rather than spending £50m–£70m on another midfielder, they are trusting their academy and preserving financial firepower for the wide areas.
Which brings it all back to Minteh.
If Liverpool are prepared to lean on Nyoni to help carry the midfield, does that free them up to push harder for a winger? Or does the same financial caution that cooled interest in Mbaye and several midfielders also cap how far they will go for Brighton’s Gambian star?
The window is almost done. The questions around Salah’s successor and Minteh’s price are not.
