Liverpool eye dream 1st Slot signing who can “reach Sadio Mane level”

This would be the dream first signing for Arne Slot and his new Anfield side.

On Friday, Spanish outlet Diario AS revealed that Liverpool had set their asking price for Barcelona-linked Luis Diaz at a hefty €75m (£68m). Rumours that the Colombian is headed for Catalonia persist, with little sign of slowing down.

Diaz was one of Liverpool’s most dependable performers throughout the 2023/24 campaign but with Jurgen Klopp now gone and the 27-year-old only scoring 13 goals from 51 matches, turning down an offer that matches the above-mentioned figure might feel difficult for FSG and its footballing CEO Michael Edwards.

Mohamed Salah, on the alternate wing, looks set to star for Arne Slot‘s Liverpool next term, entering the final year of his £350k-per-week contract but remaining one of Europe’s first-class forwards, scoring 25 goals and adding 14 assists as the Reds finished third in the Premier League and won the Carabao Cup.

But Salah is nearly 32 years old and, regardless of what happens in the short term, is not going to be around forever.

Liverpool are in the market for a wide forward and while the situation on the left remains uncertain, Edwards and Co are seeking Salah’s successor and might just have identified the perfect option.

Liverpool lining up Salah successor

As per The Telegraph, Newcastle United are scrambling to cross the line in relation to PSR and as such could turn to Yankuba Minteh as one of the most profitable assets at Eddie Howe’s disposal.

The 19-year-old is a talented winger and enjoyed a successful breakout season on loan at Feyenoord but the Magpies’ struggle is Liverpool’s gain, with the report suggesting that Slot’s side could take advantage and bolster their wide options by signing the Gambia international.

Newcastle do not want to sell but if an interested party were to lodge an offer of £40m, they may well have to consider accepting.

Yankuba Minteh’s season in numbers

Signed from Danish side Odense Boldklub in July 2023 for about £6m, Minteh was swiftly sent away from St. James’ Park to the Netherlands, tasked with fostering and honing his talent on loan with Eredivisie champions Feyenoord.

That's one way to score your 𝐅irst goal.

💨 Yankuba Minteh#utrfey pic.twitter.com/O4yitENhYw

— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) September 4, 2023

Odense’s chief executive Steffen Nielsen hailed the wide forward’s “magic” ability with the ball and that was certainly showcased throughout his time in Rotterdam, with Minteh plundering ten goals and six assists from 27 matches in the Dutch top flight as well as scoring against Celtic in the Champions League.

Principally a right winger, Liverpool will no doubt appreciate his goalscoring ability but the player’s underlying numbers are certain to be the reason behind the data-driven Edwards’ interest.

Combative, creative and lively, the 5 foot 11 starlet averaged one key pass, 2.2 dribbles, 1.7 tackles and 5.0 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, also creating nine big chances.

One of the foremost in the division for goals per game, rate of assisting, and positive, forward action when carrying the ball himself, Minteh appears destined for the top of the European game if his prodigious beginning is anything to go by.

And given that he’s already being compared to a Liverpool legend in Sadio Mane, surely it would be worth Slot pushing to get the deal over the line, having led him throughout the recently concluded campaign.

Why Liverpool should sign Yankuba Minteh

First, let’s address the obvious point. Minteh has spent a year in the Netherlands sharpening his tools and, crucially, he’s done so under Slot’s guidance.

If reports are on the mark and Liverpool do have an interest in the teenage talent, there’s little question that Slot has played a key part in pushing for his signature, having recognised the qualities that played a key role in finishing second in the league and winning the KNVB Cup, albeit getting sent off in the final.

One scout has noted that once it all clicks for Minteh, “he can reach Sadio Mane level”, such is the quality of his gliding gait and the budding deadliness of his shooting.

Minteh, certainly, has the makings of a breezy finisher, demonstrating as much this season. He missed ten big chances in the Eredivisie but also converted ten strikes. Darwin Nunez, for comparison, scored 11 Premier League goals this season and missed 27 big chances.

Minteh’s clinical edge definitely has something about the Senegalese sensation, who missed 13 big chances during his final Premier League term, scoring 16 goals. Moreover, Mane completed 2.3 dribbles and won 6.9 duels on average, underscoring his all-encompassing value that has sadly not been replicated to the max by Diaz.

🏆 Premier League champion
⏱ Fastest hat-trick in #PL history
⚽️ 111 PL goals (90 – @LFC, 21 – @SouthamptonFC)
🥇 3x Player of the Month

Incredible achievements in the #PL, Sadio Mane! 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/BZpzDKNrUX

— Premier League (@premierleague) June 22, 2022

Consistency will be key but Newcastle’s talent has proven himself across the year, scoring three goals from four league outings in September before closing the campaign with seven goals and four assists across 11 appearances.

Whether Liverpool decide to give the young star a chance remains to be seen, with other targets being considered, but since Salah is set to stay for at least one more year, why not provide him with a prodigious understudy who could use the forthcoming year to assimilate some of the Egyptian’s trademark qualities.

Then, unleashing his skill set as Liverpool’s star man on the right flank of Slot’s frontline.