“If the whole team is successful and the individual shines then Yankuba will get a lot of attention again and he can then maybe fulfil his dream in the next transfer window.” That was Fabian Hurzeler’s message after Brighton rejected Liverpool bids of £50m and £60m for Yankuba Minteh. The Brighton manager is not calling this a closed chapter, but he is making the next step conditional on club success and Minteh’s own level.

Brighton's terms for a future move

Hurzeler was clear that Minteh still belongs in Brighton’s project. “He wears the Brighton colours, he wears the Brighton badge. He has been with us for two years now as part of the squad. He has achieved great things together with the boys,” he said. Brighton were seeking closer to £70m, which explains why those Liverpool bids did not move the discussion very far.

The manager also pushed the idea that individual rewards follow collective progress. “It's also about him now to commit. In the end, we always say we want to be successful as a club and then you can shine as individuals,” he said. Minteh has scored 10 goals and supplied nine assists in 73 Seagulls appearances, and he has one goal in his last five Premier League matches.

The value Brighton are putting on him

Minteh joined from VfB Stuttgart for £30m in 2024, and Brighton have since moved the valuation on sharply. The gap between the £30m they paid and the £50m and £60m bids they rejected is the clearest sign of that change.

Hurzeler said the club had already shown how it works with rising players. “If we achieve things together, the attention will come to the individual players and that will be the case also this season,” he said. Minteh’s recent five league appearances have brought a 6.78 rating, which fits the idea that Brighton still see more upside than downside in waiting.

The line from Brighton is simple enough. They are not telling Liverpool to forget Minteh forever, only that a bigger move will have to wait until the player keeps producing and the club decide the timing works for them.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →