Liverpool have £50m bid rejected for injured Premier League player who will miss start of season

Liverpool have had a £50 million bid rejected for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yankuba Minteh as their relentless pursuit of wide options continues.

In a relatively quiet transfer window at Anfield, Andoni Iraola has only added two players to his squad, signing Victor Munoz from Mallorca after triggering his £34.5 million release clause, while landing Ronaldo Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

But with ambitions of finishing in the top four, Iraola is aware that he needs to add more bodies to his squad and is looking to capture multiple players before the September 1 deadline.

A new left-sided winger appears to be a priority as they continue to chase a blockbuster transfer for Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, but the French giants want an eye-watering £130 million to sanction the 23-year-old's exit.

The Reds have also reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcola's teammate, Ibrahim Mbaye, after holding talks with the 18-year-old's super agent, Jorge Mendes.

Though much like their negotiations with Barcola, Liverpool are yet to agree on a transfer fee for Mbaye and are assessing other options in the market in case a deal cannot be agreed before the window shuts.

One of those is long-term target Yankuba Minteh, with David Ornstein reporting on X on Thursday that Brighton have rejected a £50 million bid from Liverpool for the winger.

Minteh, 22, is currently recovering from surgery on a right leg injury sustained in a 3-0 friendly win at home to Roma earlier this month.

The Gambian international is expected to be out of action for another eight weeks, which perhaps highlights Liverpool's desperation to get a winger in through the door before the deadline.

Ornstein adds that Minteh is keen on a move to Anfield if the two clubs can agree on a fee and is one of several options the club are considering.

Fabian Hurzeler has already said what Yankuba Minteh could bring to Liverpool

Brighton are under no pressure to sell Minteh, who is contracted at the AMEX Stadium until June 2029, with Carlos Baleba also edging closer to joining Manchester United.

But there is perhaps a reluctance from those inside the club that he could depart sooner rather than later if the right offer is made, and he could become an instant hit down the right for Liverpool if he joins.

Known for driving at defenders with his explosive pace and low centre of gravity, Minteh is a full-back's nightmare when he's in full throttle.

That being said, the fleet-footed winger's end product has flattered to deceive since joining from Newcastle United for £30m two years ago.

Minteh has scored just 10 goals in 73 appearances for the Seagulls, including seven goal involvements in the Premier League last term, as Brighton qualified for the Europa Conference League.

That number will have to improve if he moves to Anfield this summer, while Fabian Hurzeler has already offered an intriguing assessment of the winger, praising his defensive improvement.

“We know he can do unpredictable things; he has quality not a lot of players have, and I’m really happy for him,” Hurzeler said in March after Minteh scored against Sunderland.

“Today he got his chance, and he used it in a really positive way.

“We have to work with him to keep doing unpredictable things offensively but keep being more reliable defensively, keep doing the easy things right in our half.

“We keep working with him; he understood more and more what it needs to work for the team and not only be a great offensive player, but to be there as a defensive player.

“Therefore, he’s going through an interesting process, and I’m really happy with how he’s doing it.

“It’s always important when you have tough moments to also have a positive experience, and this goal should give him another boost, should give him confirmation that he’s on the right way.”

As Iraola needs his players to press from the front and do their defensive work, those comments will be music to his ears as he aims to land one of the Premier League's most promising wingers.