Liverpool crank up the pace: Minteh on radar as Diomande chase leads the line

Liverpool’s summer brief is crystal clear: add jet fuel to those flanks. Senior reporter Ben Jacobs says Brighton and Hove Albion livewire Yankuba Minteh has joined the shortlist as a contingency if the Reds can’t drive home a deal for RB Leipzig whizz-kid Yan Diomande. After confirming Andoni Iraola as Arne Slot’s successor earlier in the month, Liverpool have already agreed a shock swoop for Osasuna winger Victor Munoz, gazumping Newcastle United to the Spain international.

Diomande remains the headline act

Diomande is the one Liverpool are truly moving on, per Jacobs. The 19-year-old burst onto the Bundesliga scene with Leipzig and marched straight into the 2026 World Cup with Ivory Coast, scooping man of the match on his tournament bow as they saw off Ecuador. Liverpool view him as the long-term heir to Mohamed Salah’s right-sided throne, and the feeling is that if the numbers align, they’ll push hard.

There’s a domino effect bubbling, too. Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola is admired, and while PSG have held the “not for sale” line, Jacobs hints that stance could soften if they themselves land Diomande. Classic transfer chess.

Fresh faces on Iraola’s list

Jacobs also namechecks three more options who’ve been presented to Iraola: Brighton’s Minteh, Köln’s Said El Mala, and Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo. All have been discussed internally as Liverpool hunt two wide recruits this window. With Salah departing and Hugo Ekitike on the long-term injury list, the depth chart out wide needs more than a lick of paint.

Why Minteh fits the brief

Minteh brings chaos—and that’s a compliment. He’s been clocked among the ten quickest in the Premier League and, as Dutch writer Lentin Goodijk has noted, the lad’s pace is electric. He stretches the pitch, loves the channel, and presses with menace—right up Iraola’s alley. Brighton don’t sell cheaply, but they do sell cleverly; any approach will need to be just as sharp from Liverpool’s side of the table.

Make no mistake: Liverpool’s recruitment mantra is pace, pace, and more pace—vertical runners who can rip through transitions and terrify full-backs. Every name on this shortlist screams acceleration first, finesse second.

Munoz through the door

The left-sided Victor Munoz is set to be the first arrival. Liverpool have nipped ahead of Newcastle, with the Spain international completing his medical stateside while on World Cup duty. It’s a savvy early strike that ticks one flank; now they want Salah’s long-term successor on the other.

The plan is obvious—and it’s bold

Liverpool want two wingers, one ready to fly on the left (Munoz) and one to own the right in the post-Salah era (Diomande at the top of the queue, with Minteh and others primed if that move stalls). Expect movement to gather pace—quite literally—in the coming days as Iraola’s era takes shape.

If you’re tracking how the market reacts to Liverpool’s winger hunt, keep an eye on our guide to best betting sites for the latest prices and promos around the summer window.

Pundit’s verdict

Diomande would be the statement piece: fearless, explosive, and already producing on the biggest stage. Minteh, though, is a very Liverpool Plan B—Premier League tested, direct, and tailor-made for a high press. Whether it’s the marquee or the smart money, the Reds’ wing rebuild has one common thread: out-run everyone, then out-score them. The message to the league? Catch us if you can.