Newcastle targeting the next Yankuba Minteh who has “huge potential”

In the summer of 2024, Newcastle United reluctantly had to cash in on exciting young forward Yankuba Minteh to avoid the possibility of breaking Premier League profit and sustainability regulations.

The Gambia international was sold to Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee of £30m, reportedly to avoid PSR trouble, and the Magpies have had to watch on as he has forged a decent career for himself in England.

Since the start of last season, the left-footed attacker has scored eight goals and provided nine assists for Brighton, per Sofascore, proving that he can be a difference-maker in the top-flight.

One of those goals was, of course, against Newcastle in May, as shown in the clip above, as the 21-year-old starlet cut in and brilliantly curled a finish into the far corner.

Newcastle keeping tabs on EFL winger

18 months on from losing such an exciting and direct young winger, the Magpies may finally have their own Minteh as they eye a star from the EFL.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle United are one of a number of teams showing an interest in 20-year-old Watford forward Othmane Maamma.

The report claims that the Magpies, Liverpool, and Manchester United all sent scouts to watch the young winger in action as he started in a 3-0 win for the Hornets against Birmingham City on Thursday.

It adds that Newcastle, and the other interested clubs, have been eyeing up the Moroccan talent for some time, and they continue to keep tabs on his development at Vicarage Road.

TEAMtalk also reveals that it would be difficult for Watford to turn down any significant offers for the youngster in the January transfer window, because they only paid £1m to sign him last summer.

Why Newcastle should sign Othmane Maamma

Newcastle must test the Championship side’s resolve by putting a significant bid on the table for Maamma before the end of the window, as he could be their own version of Minteh on the wing.

The Gambian forward was never able to make a senior appearance for the club before his £30m move to Brighton, which meant that the Magpies were never able to enjoy his exciting play on the flank.

They could sign Maamma to go straight into the first-team squad, though, to provide Eddie Howe with another attacking threat to call upon in the second half of the campaign and beyond.

The 20-year-old talent, who talent scout Jacek Kulig claims has “huge potential”, has scored three goals, including the stunning finish in the clip above, and provided one assist in ten Championship starts so far this season for the Hornets, per Sofascore.

His statistics in the second tier this season are remarkably similar to what Minteh has produced for Brighton in the past 365 days, as shown in the chart above. They both excel as goalscorers, creators, and dribblers, which is why they are such exciting wingers.

What makes his form all the more impressive is that he had to go to the U20 World Cup with Morocco in September and October, disrupting his domestic season, and he caught the eye whilst on international duty.

As you can see in the table above, Maamma produced five goal contributions in seven matches for Morocco, as they won the U20 World Cup by beating Argentina 2-0 in the final.

The Moroccan winger, who was hailed as “magic” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has the potential to develop into a winger who can score and assist goals on a regular basis, given his combined form for club and country this season, just as Minteh is for Brighton.

That is why the Magpies should be very keen to secure his services ahead of the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, because he is an incredibly exciting young player who they should make a move for this month, before it is too late.

It is now down to the club to put an offer on the table that is enticing enough for the Hornets to part ways with their World Cup-winning attacker in the January transfer window.