Liverpool Intensifies Pursuit of Yankuba Minteh Amid Brighton's Resistance

Liverpool’s chase for Yankuba Minteh has moved into serious territory, but Brighton are refusing to blink.

The Reds have a broad verbal agreement with the winger, according to Fabrizio Romano, after Minteh gave the green light to the Liverpool project. The player is on board. The club that actually owns him is not.

Brighton have already knocked back two sizeable offers. The first, worth around £50million, was rejected. Liverpool came back again on Thursday with an improved £60million bid. That went the same way.

Brighton turned down the £60m proposal, even with Minteh ready to sign, though negotiations are ongoing.

Gambian journalist Foday Manneh, who first revealed the second rejection, said both clubs remain hopeful of finding an agreement and are still in talks.

So Liverpool know where they stand: the player has said yes, Brighton keep saying no, and the fee is climbing.

Transfer insider Ben Jacobs had previously suggested that a £60m offer “would be a very difficult offer for Brighton to turn down.” The south-coast club have just proved how hard they intend to hold the line.

Jacobs also outlined the wider picture in Liverpool’s search for a winger. Bradley Barcola remains the top target, the one the club would “must-get if they possibly can.” Minteh has been on the list for some time, but he is not a simple Plan B. Liverpool have explored several wide options, enquiring and bidding across a small group of names.

For now, though, the focus of the negotiations is clear. With two bids rejected and Minteh verbally committed, Liverpool are expected to return with a third offer. The size of that next proposal is not yet known, and neither is Brighton’s true breaking point.

If Liverpool thought prising Minteh away from Brighton would be more straightforward than landing Barcola, the last 48 hours have offered a sharp correction. The question now is simple: how hard, and how high, are they prepared to go?