Liverpool face £70m Minteh price tag after Brighton reject two bids

Liverpool have run into a wall of resistance from Brighton over Yankuba Minteh. Two bids for the Gambian winger, the second worth £60m, have already been knocked back, with the Seagulls holding firm at a £70m valuation. The stand-off matters because Andoni Iraola is trying to sharpen his attacking options just days after his side scrambled a dramatic draw at Newcastle, and the clock is ticking with next Tuesday's deadline fast approaching.

• Brighton reject two Liverpool offers for Minteh, the highest at £60m.
• The Seagulls want £70m to sanction the deal.
• Carlos Baleba's £70m switch to Manchester United is seen as a benchmark by Brighton.
• Liverpool have also weighed up Bradley Barcola, but PSG's valuation remains far higher.
• The club salvaged a 2-2 draw at Newcastle thanks to a stoppage-time Dominic Szoboszlai penalty.

Why Liverpool are so determined to land Minteh

The 22-year-old has emerged as a priority target to add genuine width to the side. Iraola currently deploys Cody Gakpo on the left and Rio Ngumoha on the right, while Florian Wirtz operates mainly as a No 10 within the system. That setup leaves the squad short on natural wide options, a gap Minteh's dribbling and directness could fill straight away.

The Gambian international missed Brighton's 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa through injury, but that has done nothing to soften his club's stance. Brighton are reluctant to let go of one of their most prized assets cheaply, despite the persistent interest from Anfield.

The Baleba benchmark shaping the asking price

Brighton reportedly view Carlos Baleba's imminent £70m move to Manchester United as a useful reference point for Minteh's valuation. Using recent comparable sales to set prices is a familiar tactic for clubs that have built part of their business model around developing and selling talent at a premium, and it explains why they are unwilling to budge even against a sizeable £60m offer.

The Barcola alternative and the gap with PSG

While talks over Minteh remain stuck, Liverpool have also explored a move for Bradley Barcola. The gulf in valuation there is even wider, though: PSG are said to be holding out for a fee in the region of £145m for the France winger, a figure that makes any serious approach extremely difficult before the window shuts.

A late leveller at Newcastle raises the stakes

The football on the pitch adds context to the urgency in the market. Liverpool needed a stoppage-time penalty from Dominic Szoboszlai to draw 2-2 at St James' Park last Sunday, a result that underlined how much the side could benefit from fresh attacking quality rather than relying on late drama to salvage points.

Deals already done and Iraola's patient approach

Iraola has already strengthened elsewhere this summer, bringing in centre-backs Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo along with winger Victor Munoz. Even so, he has openly admitted his squad remains light in numbers and that certain deals, like the pursuit of Minteh, may only be resolved in the closing days of the window.

"Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin," Iraola said.

The manager also spoke about the discomfort of navigating an open transfer market once the season has already started, saying he would have preferred every position doubled up from day one of pre-season, while acknowledging it is a challenge shared by every club and something coaches simply have to adapt to.