Feyenoord hope to keep Yankuba Minteh next season and the Eredivisie champions will hold talks over the winger’s future with Premier League giants Newcastle United next month.
That is according to Dennis te Kloese, Feyenoord’s CEO opening up about the club’s desire to retain the services of a teenager who appears to have taken his game to an all-new level in the last few weeks.
Yankuba Minteh, signed by Newcastle United in a £6 million deal from Danish outfit Odense back in 2023, scored both goals in the 2-0 win at Almere City and also found the net against runaway leaders PSV Eindhoven last time out.
In 18 Eredivisie appearances, the Gambia international is now averaging a goal or an assist every other game.
And Te Kloese is making no secret of Feyenoord’s desire to extend Minteh’s stay in Rotterdam, with talks scheduled for the coming weeks.
Newacstle United plan to bring Yankuba Minteh back
“Newcastle United will discuss this in April,” Te Kloese tells Algemeen Dagblad. “But he’s getting better. His speed is incredible and he’s still very young.”
Unfortunately for Feyenoord, HITC Football understands that Newcastle are planning to include Minteh in their first-team roster next term. The left-footed right-winger should have a part to play under Eddie Howe in 2023/24, though it remains to be seen what his return to Tyneside will mean for the likes of Jacob Murphy or Miguel Almiron.
Newcastle were open to selling the latter in January when Saudi Arabian clubs came calling.
“He has made an excellent impression in recent weeks,” Feyenoord’s Bayern Munich-linked head coach Arne Slot tells Voetbal International of Minteh.
“He showed again (vs PSV) why Newcastle were willing to pay so much money for him.”
9 goals or assists in 18 Eredivisie games
At the age of 19, Minteh is obviously far from the finished article at this stage. Pierre van Hooijdonk, hte former Netherlands striker, has highlighted the lack of cohesion between Minteh and Feyenoord’s top scorer Santiago Gimenez, with the youngster yet to hone his decision making and his timing in the final third.
“He is extremely dangerous,” ex-Celtic and Nottingham Forest frontman Van Hooijdonk tells Studio Voetbal on NOS. “Only he doesn’t know when and we don’t know when (he is going to pass the ball).
“(Feyenoord striker Santiago) Gimenez hardly gets any passes from Minteh. Minteh is absolutely not reliable for Gimenez.”
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