Yankuba Minteh's dream of competing in the Champions League will come true if a move to Liverpool is clinched this summer. The Brighton & Hove Albion winger was the subject of a rejected £50million bid from the Reds earlier this week.
The 22-year-old, who is currently sidelined with a right leg issue, is reportedly keen on joining the Premier League giants if a fee can be agreed with the Seagulls. Brighton will be competing on four fronts in the 2026/27 campaign, after their eighth-placed finish last season clinched their place in the play-off round of the UEFA Conference League.
Minteh's European ambition
Despite the return of European football to the south coast, it's not the competition Minteh has admitted his desire to be in. The Seagulls remained in the hunt for Champions League football in the final few weeks of last season, before ultimately falling short.
Prior to their 1-0 defeat to Leeds in their penultimate game of the season, Minteh spoke of his urge to play in the competition again, having first experienced it during his year on loan at Feyenoord in the 2023/24 campaign.
He said: "It would be amazing because I played once before, and I would like to play again in it because it's a competition which is really important. Everybody watches it, so it would be nice. Everybody has to do their job really well so that we can get the spot.
"Everybody's calm because we know we have two more games left, which is important. So we're excited after the win [against Wolves], but we all have to focus on the next two."
Champions League return at Anfield
The Gambian played four times in Europe for the Dutch giants and scored his only goal in the competition in a 2–1 away defeat against Celtic.
A move to Anfield this summer will see his appearances in the Champions League increase, with the Reds to compete in the competition, courtesy of their fifth-placed finish under Arne Slot.
Liverpool's participation in the Champions League will also mark Andoni Iraola's first time managing in Europe. He'll do so with the most successful English team in the continent, with 14 major honours won across European competitions.
