Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh could still join Liverpool in January, says Fabian Hurzeler

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has suggested that Yankuba Minteh may leave the club for Liverpool when the transfer window reopens in January, after the Premier League club rejected two offers for the Gambia international during the summer.

Liverpool made an initial bid of £50m for the 22-year-old winger before returning with an improved offer worth £60m. Both proposals were turned down by Brighton, who were seeking £70m for Minteh.

Liverpool ultimately decided to retain Cody Gakpo rather than complete a deal for Minteh. However, Hurzeler believes the winger’s performances for Brighton could lead to renewed interest and potentially allow him to realise his ambition of moving to Anfield in the middle of the season.

Hurzeler told BBC Sport: “If the whole team is successful and the individual shines, then Yankuba will get a lot of attention again and he can then maybe fulfil his dream in the next transfer window.”

Minteh joined Brighton two years ago and has since become part of the club’s first-team squad. Hurzeler said the player must now remain committed to Brighton while continuing to contribute to the team’s ambitions.

The Brighton manager added: “He wears the Brighton colours, he wears the Brighton badge.

“He has been with us for two years now as part of the squad.

“He has achieved great things together with the boys.

“It’s also about him now to commit.

“In the end, we always say we want to be successful as a club and then you can shine as individuals.

“That is what we have proved in the past.

“If we achieve things together, the attention will come to the individual players and that will be the case also this season.”

Liverpool’s pursuit of Minteh saw Andoni Iraola’s side submit the two bids that Brighton rejected. The first offer was £50m, while the second increased the proposed fee to £60m.

Brighton’s valuation remained at £70m, preventing an agreement before the transfer window closed. Liverpool then kept Gakpo and did not sign Minteh, although Hurzeler’s comments indicate the transfer may not be permanently off the table.

The Brighton boss’s remarks suggest that a successful campaign for the club, combined with strong individual performances from Minteh, could once again attract Liverpool’s attention when the next opportunity to make transfers arrives.

Hurzeler stressed that Brighton’s collective progress would be central to any increased interest in their players. If the team achieves its objectives, he expects individual members of the squad to benefit from the attention that follows.

A separate update has also confirmed that Mathias Fernandez-Pardo is ready to make his Newcastle debut, with Matthias Jaissle providing the latest information.