Minteh says yes, Brighton say not yet

Player

Yankuba Minteh, winger, Brighton & Hove Albion.

Current club

Brighton. One of the most coveted wide players in the Premier League, and a club with a well-documented habit of holding out for their valuation.

Linked club

Liverpool FC.

Source

BBC Sport and ESPN confirmed Liverpool's opening £50m bid was rejected. David Ornstein, reporting for GiveMeSport, confirmed Liverpool then returned with a £60m offer, which Brighton also turned down. Sky Sports corroborates the £60m rejection. Football365, citing Fabrizio Romano, reports that Minteh has personally agreed to join Liverpool and that a second bid has been tabled, with Romano describing a deal as close.

Reliability

This is a strong rumour moving fast toward something more concrete. Multiple named outlets, including Ornstein and Romano, are across it. Personal terms are reportedly agreed. The sticking point is purely the fee, and the gap is £10m.

What's being claimed

Liverpool submitted an opening bid of £50m, which Brighton rejected. They came back with £60m. Brighton rejected that too, holding out for £70m. According to Football365 citing Romano, Minteh has already agreed personal terms with Liverpool, and a second bid has been submitted. It is not yet confirmed whether that second bid is the £60m offer Sky Sports reported as rejected, or a subsequent improved offer. Romano has described Liverpool as highly likely to complete the signing.

GiveMeSport also reports that Liverpool stepped away from talks over Ibrahim Mbaye to focus their pursuit on Minteh, though that decision has not been officially confirmed by the club.

What would make sense

Liverpool need wide coverage and they need it now. Minteh is 20 years old, direct, and exactly the kind of player Arne Slot's system can accelerate. Brighton, for their part, have no obligation to sell at a discount, they have done this before, they are comfortable doing it again, and they know Liverpool are running out of summer. A £70m valuation for a player of Minteh's profile is not unreasonable in this market, even if Liverpool clearly think £60m is the ceiling. The fact that the player has reportedly agreed to go suggests Brighton are the only ones who need convincing, which is both encouraging and, given their track record, not entirely reassuring.

What still needs to happen

Liverpool need to close the £10m gap. Brighton need to either hold or move. A third bid, presumably somewhere between £60m and £70m, feels like the next step. Until Fabrizio Romano says the words, nothing is done. The window pressure is real, and Brighton know it.