Newcastle took risky transfer decision to avoid much worse potential outcome

Newcastle United decided to let Yankuba Minteh leave for a transfer to Brighton this summer in order to avoid the potentially much worse outcome of having to cash in on star players like Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Fabrizio Romano provided some insight into Newcastle’s perspective on the Minteh deal, with the 20-year-old impressing a great deal since joining Brighton this summer.

Clearly, Newcastle had a superb young talent on their hands, but Romano insists the Magpies do not have major regrets over letting him go, even if he’s now clearly strengthening a Premier League rival.

Minteh could have a big future in the game and perhaps Newcastle will live to regret this at some point, but for now it looks like a deal that saved them from losing more established star players in their team, according to Romano.

Minteh transfer a blow for Newcastle, but not a major drama

Discussing Newcastle’s stance on allowing the talented young Gambia international to leave, Romano said: “Yankuba Minteh has started really well since joining Brighton from Newcastle, showing why he’s been regarded as such a top talent for some time.

“Still, there are no regrets from Newcastle because there was no other way for them this summer. They were basically in a situation where they had to sell a top player or Minteh, and they preferred this solution rather than players like Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon or Alexander Isak.

“Of course it’s disappointing for Newcastle to lose an exciting prospect and to see him shining for another Premier League club, but it’s also part of the game, I don’t think it’s a big drama.”

Brighton have done some smart recruitment down the years and this looks like another move that should pay off for them, even if it ultimately means cashing in on another star name for significant profit in the near future.