Brighton & Hove Albion have announced the signing of teenage attacker Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United.
The Seagulls are understood to have forked out a fee in the region of £33m, setting a new club record that eclipses the £30m they spent on forward Joao Pedro from Watford last summer.
Minteh has put pen to paper on a five-year contract that runs until June 2029 and becomes Brighton’s first signing under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
The 19-year-old arrives at the Amex Stadium after a hugely successful spell on loan at Eredivisie runners-up Feyenoord last season, scoring 10 goals and registered six assists in 27 league appearances.
Minteh departs Newcastle without kicking a ball for the Magpies, who signed the Gambia international for around £6.5m from Danish side OB last summer.
Minteh: “Look where I am now!”
Speaking to the Brighton’s official website about his arrival, Minteh said: “I’m feeling really happy about the move. Feyenoord was a great experience for me. Everybody loved me, the coaching staff, players – it was like a family.
“But Brighton is a club which I have watched in the Premier League. It’s a good club for young players and the way the young players have progressed here is important for me.
“I think it’s a great thing to move to [another] Premier League club. Although I didn’t play any games for Newcastle, look where I am now! I have the chance at Brighton in the Premier League.”
“The Premier League back home in Gambia is huge,” Minteh added. “It’s the thing everybody talks about, and everybody watches. I would say the whole country is happy for me and they have been supporting me since I played in Denmark.
“Playing for my country was always a thing which I was dreaming about since I was young, so I’m very happy to represent my country.”
Minteh “a young talent” with “incredible speed”
Technical director David Weir said: “Yankuba is a young talent that has attracted a lot of interest, so we’re delighted to welcome him to the club.
“He is an exciting attacking player with incredible speed. He had a very impressive campaign with Feyenoord, gaining experience in both the Champions League and Europa League. Now, we will give him the time and support he needs to ensure that he settles in.”
Minteh is looking forward to meeting new boss Hurzeler ahead of pre-season training, adding: “I will do whatever he likes and hopefully we can win a lot of games for him so that I can be happy, he can be happy, and my teammates can also be happy!”
Newcastle have reluctantly decided to cash in on Minteh to generate funds in a bid to avoid breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The Magpies were aware that they were at risk of a possible points deduction for next season if they failed to balance their books and make sufficient sales before the June 30 deadline.
