'In love' - Six-goal Premier League winger reacts to Newcastle United transfer bombshell

Yankuba Minteh insists he holds no grudges against Newcastle United after being sold last summer.

Newcastle signed the Gambian winger from Danish side Odense Boldklub for £7million in 2023 and after impressing during his season-long loan spell at Feyenoord had been preparing to link up with Eddie Howe’s squad ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

However, Minteh departed without kicking a ball in black and white after the Magpies opted to make a quick profit with the £33m raised helping the club to comply with Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and ultimately avoid a points deduction.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a productive debut campaign in Brighton colours, scoring six goals - one of which came against Newcastle in their 2-1 FA Cup fifth round win at St James’ Park in March - and registering five assists.

Yankuba Minteh reflects on his Newcastle United departure

Minteh will come up against his former club again in May when Newcastle visit the Amex Stadium. Reflecting on his exit, Minteh told The Athletic: “I didn’t know anything about that because I’d never heard of it — that thing, ‘PFA’, or something like that…I just heard from my agent that they wanted to sell me. I said: ‘OK, if they want to sell me, then it’s fine. I can go to another club and try. I know other clubs are interested in me, so if I don’t play there, then it’s an opportunity to play for another team.’ I wasn’t sad or anything like that.

“All I was doing in the Netherland was trying to show I could play in the Premier League, because that is all I want. It doesn’t matter if it is Newcastle, Bournemouth or Brighton, but, after finding myself in Brighton, I have fallen in love with the club now. I am settled here and I am good here now.

“I don’t have anything against Newcastle. This is how football works. You go to this team, you think you are going to stay there for the rest of your life. Another team wants you, you move to another team.”

Eddie Howe has already addressed Yankuba Minteh’s exit

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has defended the decision to sell Minteh, although admitted it “it still hurts”.

"In my opinion, it was absolutely the right thing to do but it still hurts to have done it,” Howe said in October last year. “We had no other option and no matter what the narrative is of the future, regardless of how Elliot and Yankuba do, it's still the right thing to do in my opinion for the benefit of Newcastle.

“We couldn't breach PSR and face a points deduction, and they were the only two deals we had on the table at that time. We didn't want to sell Yankuba at all, we believed in his potential and everything about his profile fitted what we needed but we had to make a decision based on finances.”

Would he have started for Newcastle? “Yeah he would have been, of course, if he was ours,” said Howe.

“We would have utilised his skillset and the attributes he has and we know tomorrow going against him we're going to have to defend well against him because he has standout qualities - pace, power and a lovely left foot so we are well aware of his strengths.”

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