“It doesn’t matter if it’s Newcastle” – Yankuba Minteh speaks out..
The jury’s still out when it comes to whether or not Newcastle should have sold Yankuba Minteh back in the Summer of 2024.
As part of an unwanted pair of departures to make sure we met PSR, alongside Elliot Anderson moving to Nottingham Forest, Minteh’s enjoyed a steady career so far at Brighton, but his numbers so far pale in comparison to Jacob Murphy’s fantastic season.
And now Minteh has opened up for the first time about the sudden transfer, and what feelings he has towards us over the move.
“I wasn’t sad or anything like that” – Minteh
Speaking to The Athletic, Yankuba Minteh has provided more details on how his transfer from us to Brighton came to fruition.
“I just heard from my agent that they wanted to sell me. I said: ‘OK, if they want to sell me, then it’s fine. I can go to another club and try.”
Minteh unfortunately never got an opportunity to showcase his talents on Tyneside, having been immediately loaned to Feyenoord upon initially singing, then transferred to the South Coast before the 24/25 Premier League campaign began.
“I know other clubs are interested in me, so if I don’t play there, then it’s an opportunity to play for another team. I wasn’t sad or anything like that. All I was doing in the Netherlands was trying to show I could play in the Premier League, because that is all I want.”
Minteh’s thoughts on Newcastle
Despite not being afforded the opportunity to play in black and white, it looks like Minteh holds no bad feelings towards the club over the controversial move.
“It doesn’t matter if it is Newcastle, Bournemouth or Brighton, but, after finding myself in Brighton, I have fallen in love with the club now. I am settled here and I am good here now.
“I don’t have anything against Newcastle. This is how football works. You go to this team, you think you are going to stay there for the rest of your life. Another team wants you, you move to another team.”
Was this the right move for Newcastle?
After only just one season away from the club properly, it’s difficult to judge as to whether or not we made the right move selling Minteh (and Anderson) or should have gone to sell a bigger player like Anthony Gordon to meet PSR.
Minteh’s enjoyed a solid career so far under Fabian Hürzeler, despite some one-off disciplinary issues, but the money we’ve received for a player with zero appearances for the club may have been an offer simply too good to turn down.
At only 20-years-old, he’ll no doubt hone his skills and become a far more promising player than his numbers this season would indicate. But for a Newcastle side vying for Champions League football, he was just the right player at the wrong time.
The jury’s still out when it comes to whether or not Newcastle should have sold Yankuba Minteh back in the Summer of 2024.
As part of an unwanted pair of departures to make sure we met PSR, alongside Elliot Anderson moving to Nottingham Forest, Minteh’s enjoyed a steady career so far at Brighton, but his numbers so far pale in comparison to Jacob Murphy’s fantastic season.
And now Minteh has opened up for the first time about the sudden transfer, and what feelings he has towards us over the move.
“I wasn’t sad or anything like that” – Minteh
Speaking to The Athletic, Yankuba Minteh has provided more details on how his transfer from us to Brighton came to fruition.
“I just heard from my agent that they wanted to sell me. I said: ‘OK, if they want to sell me, then it’s fine. I can go to another club and try.”
Minteh unfortunately never got an opportunity to showcase his talents on Tyneside, having been immediately loaned to Feyenoord upon initially singing, then transferred to the South Coast before the 24/25 Premier League campaign began.
“I know other clubs are interested in me, so if I don’t play there, then it’s an opportunity to play for another team. I wasn’t sad or anything like that. All I was doing in the Netherlands was trying to show I could play in the Premier League, because that is all I want.”
Minteh’s thoughts on Newcastle
Despite not being afforded the opportunity to play in black and white, it looks like Minteh holds no bad feelings towards the club over the controversial move.
“It doesn’t matter if it is Newcastle, Bournemouth or Brighton, but, after finding myself in Brighton, I have fallen in love with the club now. I am settled here and I am good here now.
“I don’t have anything against Newcastle. This is how football works. You go to this team, you think you are going to stay there for the rest of your life. Another team wants you, you move to another team.”
Was this the right move for Newcastle?
After only just one season away from the club properly, it’s difficult to judge as to whether or not we made the right move selling Minteh (and Anderson) or should have gone to sell a bigger player like Anthony Gordon to meet PSR.
Minteh’s enjoyed a solid career so far under Fabian Hürzeler, despite some one-off disciplinary issues, but the money we’ve received for a player with zero appearances for the club may have been an offer simply too good to turn down.
At only 20-years-old, he’ll no doubt hone his skills and become a far more promising player than his numbers this season would indicate. But for a Newcastle side vying for Champions League football, he was just the right player at the wrong time.
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