The player wants it, but circumstances aren't helping

Yankuba Minteh wants to be a Liverpool player. That much, according to Gambian football expert Baboucarr Fallaboweh, hasn't changed. Speaking to Sport Witness, Fallaboweh was clear that the Brighton winger would still jump at the chance to move to Anfield, the question is whether Liverpool will maintain that interest firmly enough to make it happen.

The complication sitting in the middle of all this is the injury that has kept Minteh on the sidelines. Fallaboweh was candid about the timing: "I think Liverpool. He will still want to go to Liverpool. Depending on [how] Liverpool will activate that desire to still have him. Because right now, his situation has not been helped because he is injured. If not, then you could have more justification for him to showcase his performance why Liverpool were after him." In other words, a winger making his case for an £80m fee is rather easier to make when the winger is actually playing. Fallaboweh expects a return after the September international break, which at least puts a likely timeline on things.

What Liverpool's interest actually means for Minteh

Fallaboweh's comments about the broader significance of Liverpool's pursuit were telling. "It's a big win for him to be associated with Liverpool," he said. "So, it gives other big European clubs around the world to take a closer look at him now that they know Brighton's actual price. So, it will be easier for them to explore it." That cuts both ways for Liverpool, of course. The attention that comes with being linked to Anfield might just attract rival suitors, and Fallaboweh didn't rule out Manchester United entering the picture either.

Still, the fact that the former Feyenoord winger sees Liverpool's interest as a mark of quality rather than a source of pressure is probably a healthy sign. It suggests a player who is ambitious, aware of his own value, and genuinely motivated by the prospect of playing at the top level, not simply chasing the biggest contract available.

The real obstacles sitting between Minteh and a Liverpool move

Even setting the injury aside, there are legitimate questions about whether this deal makes sense for Liverpool right now. Brighton are asking in the region of £80m for a 22-year-old who has spent this season watching from the treatment table. That is a significant outlay, and it would need to be justified either by a drop in that asking price or by Minteh delivering the kind of performances that make the fee feel earned.

There is also a squad-depth question that is harder to brush past. Liverpool already carry numbers on the flanks, and the more pressing need arguably sits elsewhere, in midfield and at right-back. Bringing in another wide player without one going the other way would be a difficult sell internally, and any obvious candidate for the exit door appears to be thriving rather than agitating for a move. January feels too soon for all of this to resolve itself neatly. Summer, with a clearer picture of squad needs and Minteh's form restored, looks a far more realistic window for anything concrete to materialise, if it materialises at all.

For now, the desire is there on the player's side. Whether everything else lines up is another matter entirely, and the next few months of football could define the answer.