Newcastle United are reportedly close to signing Odense BK winger Yankuba Minteh but his international boss has concerns regarding a potential switch to the Premier League outfit.
Minteh would, of course, be in good hands at St James’ Park.
Both Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth – Newcastle’s manager and sporting director respectively – have proven themselves more than adept at handling precocious young talent.
And Minteh, the 18-year-old whizzkid nicknamed ‘Messi’ due to his eye-catching dribbling and lovely left foot, is certainly that. A precocious young talent who, according to reports in Denmark, is ‘very close’ to becoming a Newcastle player in time for the summer.
Minteh even admitted, just last week, that he is ready to jump at such an opportunity.
But Abdoulie Bojang, who coaches Minteh at U20 level for the Gambian national team, is not quite so optimistic.
Should Yankuba Minteh really join Newcastle United?
“I always tell young players that they should not overestimate their own abilities. I still think it’s a bit early,” Bojang tells Tipsbladet.
“He is still young. He lacks experience. If he goes to a big club and doesn’t perform, he’s stuck.”
Football history is, of course, littered with examples of players who made the big move too soon in their development before shrinking from view. Minteh, at least, has a growing throng of impressive first-team appearances under his belt in the Danish Superliga, scoring three times and setting up two more in just nine outings for Odense this term.
“It’s fantastic,” Tony Hermansen, head of OB’s academy, tells Tipsbladet. “That’s the crazy thing about football. We’re talking about an 18-year-old who comes up and becomes a crowd favourite.
“He has some extraordinary qualities such as his speed. He catches the eye because something happens when he has the ball. At the same time, he has got something defensive in his game without taking the offensiveness away from him.
“Therefore, he is a player with huge potential.”
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