Liverpool press for £70m Minteh deal despite winger facing eight weeks out injured

Liverpool are preparing a third bid for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh despite the 23-year-old being ruled out for a minimum of eight weeks with an injury sustained in pre-season, with a fee of around £70 million understood to be enough to convince Brighton to sell.

The Reds have already had two offers rejected for the Gambian international, who has emerged as the club’s primary target to fill the right-flank void left by Mohamed Salah’s departure. Journalist Ben Jacobs reported that Liverpool held talks with Brighton over the weekend and could move to a third bid imminently, suggesting a £65m opening offer may come before escalating to the £70m figure Brighton sources say would be sufficient to close the deal.

The continued pursuit has been described as “bizarre” in some quarters, given that journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed Minteh — who missed Brighton’s opening-weekend win over Aston Villa — could require two to three months to reach full match fitness after the knock he picked up against Roma. Liverpool’s transfer window closes in under a week, meaning any signing would be unavailable for a significant portion of the early season.

The urgency is understandable in context. Liverpool opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park on Sunday, with Dominik Szoboszlai’s equaliser salvaging a point against Newcastle United. The performance exposed several structural concerns for new manager Andoni Iraola: youngster Rio Ngumoha was deployed out of position on the right wing, questions lingered over defensive midfield cover, and the team’s high-pressing system looked far from settled.

Iraola is also navigating broader squad questions — how to compensate for the ageing Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, and where summer signing Florian Wirtz fits most effectively in the system. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher publicly called for the club to prioritise defensive reinforcements rather than further attacking additions.

Minteh’s market value is listed at €45m by Transfermarkt, meaning Liverpool’s expected bid would represent a significant premium — a reflection of both Brighton’s negotiating position and the winger’s potential as a long-term Salah successor. Liverpool’s next league fixture is at home to Nottingham Forest.