Even by Everton’s standards, this was a disaster of a weekend.
A 3-0 hammering at home to Brighton and Hove Albion to begin the new Premier League season was bad enough.
Then, however, the long-suffering Everton supporters had to witness a Man of the Match display from Amadou Onana, the man they sold earlier this summer shining and scoring on his Aston Villa debut.
The performance of Yankuba Minteh felt like further insult to an already painful injury.
Everton held talks with the former Feyenoord loanee, HITC understands, before Brighton and Hove Albion snapped up Minteh in a £33 million deal from Newcastle United.
The sight of Minteh breezing past Vitalii Mykolenko to set up Kaoru Mitoma’s opener on the blue side of Stanley Park on Saturday afternoon, then, created a familiar pang of exasperation that an Everton side who continue to be tested in such a way that even Job himself would say ‘rather you than me’.
Newcastle sold Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and Hove Albion
As for Newcastle, Jamie Carragher cannot shake the feeling that Minteh’s departure is one the St James’ Park outfit will live to regret.
Not that they had that much of a choice, really. Those Profit and Sustainability Rule issues meant that The Magpies had to sell in order to free up funds and quell fears of a potential points deduction, Minteh becoming something of a sacrificial lamb alongside the Nottingham Forest newbie Elliot Anderson.
But still, Carragher feels that Minteh may have been the player Newcastle need on the right-wing, possessing a fearsome combination of pace, creativity and ruthlessness that may be beyond the likeable but limited Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy.
“When I look at what Newcastle have got on the right-hand side now, from what I saw, from what he did against Everton, I think that’s one Newcastle are going to really rue for years to come,” Liverpool legend Carragher tells Monday Night Football on Sky Sports.
“He was fantastic at Goodison. He looks the real deal.”
Minteh joined Newcastle for just £7 million at the start of 2023 following a breakout campaign at Odense Boldklub in Denmark. He was nicknamed ‘Messi’ at his old employers due to the Gambian’s tendency to cut in onto his left foot from the right-hand side.
Minteh then scored 11 and set up six more during a spell at Feyenoord last term.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, expects the youngster to be available for next weekend’s clash with Manchester United. Minteh was forced off on the stroke of half-time after a head injury.
“It was disappointing but, in the end, we are responsible for the player and that is why we made this decision,” the Premier League’s youngest-ever manager tells Sussex Express.
“The health of the player is always more important than any game and any win. We are responsible for that and that is why we have to keep looking at him and see how he reacts now. But I am quite confident that he will be back next week.
“He made a great impact.”
Fabian Hurzeler a big fan already of ex-Everton target
Hurzeler is impressed with Minteh’s off-the-ball work too, as well as his devastating impact in possession.
“I judge my offensive players on how they work against the ball,” adds the former St Pauli boss. “They did it quite good today. They all have the quality to score and Minteh is very dangerous in transition.
“You saw already in pre-season, you see it every day in training. If you work hard, if you try to improve every, you try to win the day and be the best you can every day, then it will pay off.
“It’s not like I was surprised he had this performance because I saw it in pre-season and that is just the confirmation.”
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