Newcastle United are looking to craft a lasting foundation for their newfound Premier League success and are now closing on a deal for prodigious Gambian talent Yankuba Minteh.
What’s the latest on Yankuba Minteh to Newcastle?
As confirmed by BBC Sport, Minteh is closing on a departure from Danish side Odense to pen a long-term deal with Eddie Howe’s Magpies.
The fee for the 18-year-old gem is believed to be around €7m (£6m), and with Brighton, Everton, Club Brugge, Ajax, Feyenoord and Marseille all hoping for his signature, it could be that sporting director Dan Ashworth has pulled off a major coup.
Minteh is expected to be granted a season-long loan move away from St. James’s Park by Eddie Howe as he is carefully nurtured towards a prominent role within one of the game’s most burgeoning outfits.
Who is Yankuba Minteh?
Newcastle have qualified for next season’s Champions League and are poised for a lasting spot among Europe’s elite after the affluent PIF takeover in 2021.
And while the emphasis will be on bolstering the first team with signings of high calibre, creating a first-rate underbelly is the optimum way to ensure this newfound success remains unwavering.
Having made 17 appearances for Odense this term, Minteh has scored four goals and supplied a further six assists, earning praise as a “special” talent by one Danish football scout, who noted his “fantastic” season, whilst he also believes the winger “has a future in the Premier League“.
As per Sofascore, the rising attacker has recorded an impressive average rating in the Danish Superliga of 6.96, complementing his direct contributions with 1.6 shots and 0.9 key passes per game and a notable average of 2.6 tackles per match, which illustrates his natural dynamism and tenacity.
Also praised as a “top talent for the future” by Fabrizio Romano, Minteh has drawn comparisons to Bayer Leverkusen phenom Moussa Diaby – who has been linked with a £69m move to Tyneside this term – from talent scout Jacek Kulig, who produced a meticulous report detailing the teenager’s profile and highlighting his immense strength in pace, dribbling, dynamism and ball control.
This certainly matches up with Diaby’s skill set, with the 23-year-old, who has scored 14 goals and supplied 11 assists this term – and been praised for his “supernatural, divine gift” by president of Esperance Paris 19e Morade Djeddi, Diaby’s maiden outfit.
Indeed, as per FBref, the £32k-per-week sensation ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, illustrating his prowess in blistering transition and aptitude as a first-rate vehicle on the pitch.
It’s this progressive skill that has left United enamoured and looking to swoop, but by targetting Minteh, who, granted, will not feature with a prominent role for a couple of years at least, the Toon could unearth a superlative flanker capable of eclipsing the skill set of Diaby, flourishing at St. James’ Park for years to come.