Liverpool’s attempt to sign Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh has raised doubts among some supporters about the club’s transfer strategy after a £50m offer was rejected.
Gareth Roberts, from The Late Challenge podcast, described the move as unexpected and questioned whether the 21-year-old represents the level of signing needed to strengthen Liverpool’s push for major trophies.
Speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside, Roberts said Minteh had not previously been strongly linked with the club, despite Liverpool’s clear need for more attacking quality and creativity, especially on the right wing.
Liverpool move came as a surprise
Roberts pointed out that most of the speculation had instead focused on Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Those names had appeared regularly in reports, creating an expectation that Liverpool could eventually make progress on one of those deals.
The sudden interest in Minteh therefore came as something of a surprise.
Roberts questioned whether the bid could be part of a wider negotiating tactic. One possibility, in his view, is that Liverpool are looking at alternatives after struggling to make progress with Paris Saint-Germain over other targets.
He also wondered whether the move simply reflects a late attempt to add another attacking player before the window closes.
Neither scenario, Roberts argued, presents Liverpool’s recruitment in a particularly convincing light.
Minteh deal would not send a strong message
Roberts also suggested that Minteh would not be the type of arrival likely to generate major excitement around Anfield or concern among Liverpool’s rivals.
He described the Brighton winger as a reliable Premier League player rather than someone whose current numbers immediately suggest he could transform Liverpool’s attack.
For that reason, Roberts does not believe signing Minteh would demonstrate major ambition from the club.
In his assessment, such a transfer would not necessarily suggest Liverpool are building a squad specifically capable of winning the Premier League or competing seriously for all four available trophies.
Instead, it could give the impression that the club have explored several options without finding a preferred solution and are now trying to provide the manager with another attacking addition.
Liverpool’s need for greater depth in wide areas remains clear, but Roberts believes the identity of the eventual signing will say plenty about how ambitious the club intends to be this season.
