Liverpool's Pursuit of Yankuba Minteh: Brighton's £80m Standoff

Fabian Hürzeler has put the ball firmly in Yankuba Minteh’s court – and left the door ajar for Liverpool.

The Brighton head coach has urged the winger to think hard about his next step, even as he hinted Liverpool’s pursuit is not over despite the Seagulls’ eye-watering £80m price tag scaring the Reds off their last approach.

Liverpool reset after Salah and Barcola deal

Liverpool are rebuilding their attack after the end of an era. Mohamed Salah has gone after nine glittering years at Anfield, and the club have already moved decisively for one wide forward, agreeing a £120m deal with PSG for Bradley Barcola.

Attention now swings to the second winger Andoni Iraola wants. FSG walked away from Paris Saint-Germain’s demands for another of their wantaway players, Ibrahim Mbaye, and switched their focus to Minteh, who has blossomed on the south coast.

Liverpool opened talks with Brighton and lodged two bids, the second climbing beyond £60m (€70m, $81m). Brighton pushed back. Hard. Their response was a firm £80m (€93m, $109m) valuation, a figure Liverpool deemed excessive and which stalled negotiations.

But Hürzeler is not talking as if the saga is over.

Hürzeler’s message: know what you’ve got at Brighton

“Rumours. Rumours. Let’s see what happens,” Hürzeler said in his press conference, playing down the noise but not dismissing it.

He was quick to frame Minteh’s rise as a product of the collective.

“Again, another example of a player who benefits from the success of the team,” he said. “He benefits, for example, from the hard work of Pascal [Gross], hard work from Jack Hinshelwood, hard work from all the other players. And he knows it.”

From there, the Brighton boss shifted into something closer to a plea than a lecture.

“Therefore I also think it’s important to understand as a player what you have here, playing for a club like Brighton.

“You have a club that gives you the chance, you team-mates who are really trying to push you, you have a club that is there for you also in tough moments.

“[New Man Utd signing] Carlos Baleba had so many tough moments when he was here; Minteh also had tough moments, but we were always there for them, always tried to help them; their teammates are there for them.”

Hürzeler has never hidden from Brighton’s reality as a selling club, but he wants his young stars to appreciate the environment they are in before jumping.

“So I think it’s also important for the players to understand what they have here with this club, how the fans are connected, how we are working together.

“It’s difficult to find a similar environment, or better environment, for potential young players.

“But the same with Minteh, we were successful as a team; that brings attention to him, so let’s see what happens.

“If you ask me if I’ll try to convince him to stay, yes, I try to convince him to stay. But can I control everything? No, I can’t control everything.”

Liverpool not out of the race

The tug-of-war is clear. Brighton want commitment. Liverpool want a deal. Between them stands a 20-year-old forward and a huge valuation.

Hürzeler made it plain that, for now, Minteh belongs to Brighton and should act like it.

“From my perspective, Minteh, he’s a Brighton player; he needs to commit to this club.

“Because he knows that these rumours only come because he benefits from everything here.

“From how he’s been worked with, how he’s been protected from everyone, how he’s been developed. So I think that’s also important for him.”

Then came the nod towards Anfield’s next move.

“Then in the end, we all know, everyone knows, how the football business works. Let’s see the ideas from Liverpool.

“We have a clear idea how we want to go forward, but we have a lot of things in our hands regarding this player.

“But in the end, there’s Tony [Bloom, owner], there’s Paul [Barber, CEO], together with them we try to make the right decision.”

Brighton hold the contract and the price. Liverpool hold the financial line. Minteh holds his own ambitions.

Sarr off the table, Gakpo on alert

One name that can be scrubbed from Liverpool’s winger shortlist is Ismaila Sarr. Sources have played down talk of a rejected bid for the Senegal international, with the reality behind those links cooling the story quickly.

If Liverpool do manage to break Brighton’s resistance and bring Minteh in alongside Barcola, the knock-on effect at Anfield would be immediate.

Two high-profile wide arrivals, a new era on the flanks – and Cody Gakpo’s future would suddenly look far less secure.