Newcastle United have made their stance clear about young star Yankuba Minteh amid his impressive loan at Dutch giants Feyenoord.
According to HITC, Newcastle United have high hopes for 19-year-old Gambia international Yankuba Minteh and will integrate the winger into the first team next season after his glowing loan spell with Feyenoord.
Minteh joined the Magpies from Danish side Odense Boldklub last summer for £7 million before immediately joining Feyenoord. He missed five games between October and November with a hamstring injury and the majority of January after representing Gambia at the African Cup of Nations, with Barcelona apparently keeping tabs on his performances.
Despite that, it is fair to say that it is proving to be a fruitful experience for the youngster, who has made 25 appearances in total so far, and has been firing on all cylinders lately. He scored his third goal in two matches for Feyenoord as they drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie over the weekend.
The youngster was in from the outset after coming off the bench and grabbing a brace in a 2-0 win over Almere City in Feyenoord’s previous match. In total, the Gambian international has scored seven goals for the Dutch champions; six of those have come in the league, while he also scored in the Champions League group stage defeat against Celtic in December.
There was talk of Newcastle United bringing Minteh back to the club during the January transfer window amid an injury crisis. But with no recall clause in place, the Tyneside club did not push to cut his loan deal short.
Newcastle United looking to overcome FFP stranglehold with Minteh
Much has been made about the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations (PSR) imposed on Newcastle United’s first-team transfer plans. But buying and developing the players aged 16 to 21 is viewed internally as a long-term cost-cutting measure.
After successfully bringing through Geordie lads Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson from the academy ranks, it will be interesting to see what Eddie Howe and co. do with the talented Minteh. The youngster has demonstrated a genuine pace, impressive pressing numbers, and the desire to improve his game, despite some criticism for his lack of end product in the final third.
He could end up being a decent option for Newcastle, as they can often be short of quality out wide. There is also speculation that right-winger Miguel Almiron could leave in the summer amid interest from multiple Saudi Arabian clubs, which could give Minteh the chance to operate in his favourite position.
