Liverpool target Minteh can still get dream move - Hurzeler
September 4, 2026 10:44
Brighton rejected two offers from Liverpool for winger Yankuba Minteh during the recent transfer window, with bids of £50m and £60m turned down. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said the club expect team success to increase individual attention on players and suggested Minteh could still achieve a high‑profile move in a future window.
Brighton retained Minteh and completed other business: they sold Carlos Baleba and used part of the funds to sign defensive midfielder Chema Andres from Stuttgart for £15.5m.
KEY CONTEXT
- Minteh, a 22‑year‑old Gambian, signed for Brighton from Newcastle in 2024 for £30m. He mainly plays on the right and has 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances for the Seagulls.
- Reports in the transfer window indicated Brighton were seeking nearer £70m for Minteh, a figure higher than Liverpool’s offers.
- Brighton raised significant transfer income in the window — the source notes Carlos Baleba moved to Manchester United for £70m — and subsequently recruited 21‑year‑old Chema Andres from Stuttgart.
- Andres made 41 appearances for Stuttgart last season after arriving from Real Madrid in 2025, having made his La Liga debut in January 2025 and helped Stuttgart qualify for the Champions League.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Keeping Minteh sustains Brighton’s attacking options and preserves a player who has already contributed goals and assists over two seasons. Hurzeler framed the situation as a club-versus-individual balance: collective success, he says, can raise players’ profiles and create future transfer opportunities.
- The sales and recruitment activity underline Brighton’s continued business model of generating income from player sales and reinvesting in younger talent — exemplified by the acquisition of Chema Andres as a midfield prospect.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- Whether Brighton’s season performance leads to heightened external interest in Minteh and if a move materialises in the next transfer window, a possibility Hurzeler mentioned.
- How quickly Chema Andres adapts to Brighton and progresses from the early comparisons to established midfielders, a comparison Hurzeler acknowledged while stressing Andres still has “a long way to go.”
- The broader effect of the Baleba sale on Brighton’s squad plans and how remaining funds are allocated across the season.
KEY FACTS
- Liverpool had offers of £50m and £60m for Yankuba Minteh rejected by Brighton.
- Brighton reportedly sought nearer £70m for Minteh (as understood from reports).
- Minteh joined Brighton from Newcastle in 2024 for £30m; he has 10 goals and nine assists in 73 appearances.
- Brighton sold Carlos Baleba for £70m and signed Chema Andres from Stuttgart for £15.5m.
- Chema Andres made 41 appearances for Stuttgart last season after joining from Real Madrid in 2025 and helped them reach the Champions League.