Liverpool have identified Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh as one of the targets on their list to replace Mohamed Salah this summer, as Arne Slot and his recruitment team cast a wide net in an effort to address the most significant vacancy in their squad for the post-Salah era.
Minteh, 21, joined Brighton & Hove Albion from Newcastle last summer and has been one of the revelations of the Premier League campaign, bringing direct running, pace and unpredictability to Newcastle's right flank. His age profile, high potential ceiling and established Premier League performance make him an attractive option for a club that has identified younger, developing talent as a key part of their recruitment philosophy going forward.
The wider search
Salah's departure creates an enormous vacuum at Liverpool — 228 goals, 181 assists and nine years of consistent excellence that no single signing is realistically expected to replace in the short term.
Slot's approach has been to identify multiple reinforcements across the forward line rather than seeking one direct substitute. Anthony Gordon remains the primary target for the left side, though Arsenal remain favourites for his signature. Minteh and Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig have both been placed on the list of wide options.
Newcastle face the prospect of losing both Gordon and Minteh in the same window, a scenario the club's hierarchy will resist strongly. CEO David Hopkinson has publicly stated the club needs to "buy well and sell well" — but selling two of their most dynamic wide players in the same summer would represent a significant challenge to the squad depth Eddie Howe is trying to build.
