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3 months ago
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Yankuba Minteh was Newcastle United’s first signing of the summer 2023 transfer window.
A reported £7m plus future odd ons, a new incoming transfer fee record banked by Danish club Odense for the then 18 year old exciting winger.
Yankuba Minteh then instantly loaned to Feyenoord for the season. To get as much first team football as possible to help the winger progress.
The Newcastle United teenager made it four goals (see below) in his last four Feyenoord appearances at the weekend and is absolutely flying.
Interesting now then to hear what Yankuba Minteh has said about the here and now and the future, about Feyenoord and Newcastle United.
The winger speaking to Voetbal International in Holland, with Feyenoord and Yankuba Minteh having the cup final to look forward to next month, whilst they look pretty certain to finish second in the league (currently 10 points off top and six ahead of third), which would see them qualify for Champions League football again next season:
“I believe very much in myself, in my qualities. In addition, you just have to go for your career, stay focused.
“There is no point in thinking that it is all going so quickly. I better be happy with it.
“That two years ago I played for Steve Biko FC in Gambia and this year I made my debut in the Champions League.
“Playing at Feyenoord, I made my debut in the Champions League, but at the same time I also think that I could perhaps have shown a little more. Okay, I scored against Celtic and recently against PSV and Heracles Almelo, but also opportunities missed. I am not easily satisfied.
“I really want to win the cup. That is a tangible prize.
“A second place (in the league), I know that it will qualify us for the Champions League and in that respect it is worth as much as a trophy, but that’s not how it feels to me.
“I want to become a champion, that’s what you play for. The cup would give our season extra shine.
“My parents sit in front of the television, like everyone else in Gambia. The whole country (backs me). It can become the first real prize for me as a footballer. If it were up to me, the first of many.
“Ultimately though, the Premier League is my goal.
“Newcastle United is the club that have a lot of confidence in me.
“I have no idea what the future looks like.
“I was in Newcastle once, when they played against Borussia Dortmund.
“I will hear soon what plans the club has for me.
“I’m still young, I have time, maybe they want to loan me out again.
“I don’t know yet, I’ll hear about it.
“I’ll let everything happen to me.
“I know only that one day I will play in the Premier League (for Newcastle United).”
The Mag report – 11 March 2024:
Yankuba Minteh made an instant impression at Feyenoord this season.
The Newcastle United loan player scoring and creating goals as he picked up appearances both as a starter and as a sub.
Feyenoord manager Arne Slot speaking (see below) about Yankuba Minteh early in his loan spell, how much he had impressed.
Then injury struck, followed by up and down form, no surprise with a 19 year old winger playing in both Champions League and stepping up from domestic football in Denmark to that in Holland.
However, Yankuba Minteh is now approaching the home straight of the season in exhilarating form.
The NUFC loan star now has four goals in his last four matches, four goals in his last 254 minutes on the pitch for Feyenoord.
His latest coming on Sunday as he opened the scoring (watch below) in a 3-0 home win over Heracles, yet another very cool finish from Minteh.
YANKUBA MINTEH 🇬🇲(2004) OPENS THE SCORING!!!pic.twitter.com/2jZLYdsgg3
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 10, 2024
This run of four goals in his last four matches also saw Yankuba Minteh help Feyenoord reach the cup final, where they will play NEC, the Newcastle loan player with every chance of picking up his first winners medal in senior football.
With only ten league starts as well as appearances off the bench, Yankuba Mineth already has nine direct goal involvements for Feyenoord in the league, scoring seven and two assists. With 923 minutes on the pitch, that averages a direct goal involvement every 103 minutes.
Having already scored his first Champions League goal this season and played in the AFCON finals for Gambia, things are happening fast for the teenager.
He doesn’t turn 20 until towards the end of July and the big question for Yankuba Minteh in the summer, will be whether Eddie Howe integrates him into the Newcastle United squad for the start of the 2024/25 season, or sends him out on another loan to ensure more first team football elsewhere, maybe for the first half of next season and then take it from there?
Feyenoord boss Arne Slot speaking earlier this season about Yankuba Minteh and his early impact before picking up an injury – 2 October 2023:
“Our scouts were also impressed by his year at Odense.
”Then (Feyenoord General Manager) Dennis te Kloese came to the technical staff.
“Minteh went to Newcastle United and the English were looking for a club to loan him to. That’s how he came to us.
”He certainly doesn’t lack self-confidence.
“His willingness to give everything is enormous.
“When we see his statistics, it is really impressive.
“Minteh runs more sprint metres against Ajax in an hour (in the recent 4-0 Feyenoord win) than many other boys do in two games.
”He is incredibly fast. And he wants it so badly.
“For the remainder against Ajax we substituted him for Ramiz Zerrouki. He immediately accepts that.
”He recently shot Gambia (Yankuba Minteh scoring a vital goal in the final group game on his international debut) to a ticket for the Africa Cup next winter.
“Newcastle United has not made any requirements regarding minimum playing time or anything like that.”

 
