Liverpool's search for a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah has hit a snag after Brighton & Hove Albion rejected a £50m offer for winger Yankuba Minteh, according to reports.
The Merseyside club submitted the bid as part of their broader effort to bolster their attacking options on the flanks this summer, but Brighton have so far refused to sanction a sale. Complicating matters further, Minteh is currently sidelined with an injury expected to keep him out for around eight weeks, meaning he would not have been immediately available to Liverpool even had the deal gone through.
Minteh, a Gambia international, arrived at Brighton two years ago from Newcastle United in a deal worth £30m. Since then he has developed into a productive contributor for the Seagulls, netting nine goals in 66 appearances. Despite Brighton's reluctance to sell, the winger is said to be open to a move to Anfield should an agreement eventually be reached between the two clubs.
The approach for Minteh forms part of a wider strategy by Liverpool, who are testing the market to see which of their targets might be both available and financially attainable. The club had previously lodged a package worth £86m in pursuit of Yan Diomande, only for the player to instead join Real Madrid after leaving RB Leipzig, leaving Liverpool to reassess their options.
Another name on Liverpool's radar is Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain, though talks over a potential deal have stalled due to a significant gap between the two clubs' valuations of the France international. PSG, fresh off their Champions League triumph, are believed to be seeking a fee in the region of £145m for the winger, a figure Liverpool consider excessive. The Reds have also cast an eye over another PSG asset, Ibrahim Mbaye, as they continue to explore alternatives in case their primary targets prove too costly or unwilling to move.
Liverpool have already brought in one wide player this summer, completing the signing of Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but the club's hierarchy remain determined to add a further attacking wide forward before the transfer window closes. That search remains their priority, even as other business has been conducted elsewhere on the pitch — including the loan arrival of Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo, who joins to add defensive depth.
Despite that move, the majority of Liverpool's remaining transfer budget is understood to be earmarked specifically for a winger capable of eventually filling the void left by Salah, who has long been the club's most influential attacking presence. The Egyptian's importance to Liverpool's recent success makes finding a suitable long-term replacement a delicate and high-stakes task for the club's recruitment team.
With Minteh currently unattainable and Barcola's price tag proving a stumbling block, Liverpool may need to widen their search further or wait for circumstances to shift before finalizing a marquee addition to their attack. For now, the club's pursuit of a new-look forward line continues, with Brighton's firm stance over Minteh serving as the latest obstacle in what has become an increasingly complex chase for attacking reinforcements.
Based on reporting from The Independent.