Liverpool turned down by new striker after unsuccessful attempt to sign Yankuba Minteh
Liverpool have reportedly had a bid turned down by Brighton and Hove Albion for forward Yankuba Minteh. The Reds start their Premier League season away at Newcastle on Sunday, but they still need more players in some important spots.
Right now, Liverpool only have one true centre forward, Alexander Isak. Victor Munoz, Cody Gakpo, and Rio Ngumoha are sharing the work on the wings. With Curtis Jones expected to leave for Inter Milan, the team is also short in midfield. They’ve brought in Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona to cover both centre-back and right-back.
On Thursday, The Athletic said Liverpool made an offer for Gambia’s Minteh, but Brighton turned it down. Minteh, 22, wants to join Liverpool but is still healing from a leg injury and will miss the start of the season.
Now, according to ESPN, Liverpool’s search for a forward has taken them as far as Real Madrid’s young star Endrick. The Brazilian has been linked with a loan move this season. Earlier reports said Endrick would only leave if he could play as a centre forward and wanted to join a club in the Champions League. Manchester United and Aston Villa were also interested, and Liverpool have joined the race.
However, ESPN says Endrick has changed his mind and now wants to stay and fight for his place at Real Madrid with the new coach Jose Mourinho. Both the player and Mourinho turned down loan offers from Villa and Roma. Mourinho has been impressed by Endrick in training and believes he can play in several attacking positions. So, besides competing with Kylian Mbappe as a centre forward, Endrick could challenge Vinicius Junior on the left and new signing Yan Diomande on the right.
Last season, Endrick had a successful loan spell at Lyon, scoring eight goals and making eight assists in 21 games. He told Transfermarkt in May, “By November, I already felt ready to play well and get more chances, but it didn’t happen. I couldn’t play, so I had to work harder to stay in shape. I knew I’d be leaving the club at the start of the year, so I worked hard to be ready for Lyon and to show what I can do.”