Dutch journalist has spotted a big problem with Newcastle loanee Yankuba Minteh at Feyenoord

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There is a lot of buzz on Tyneside about Newcastle United winger Yankuba Minteh.

The Magpies bought Yankuba Minteh last summer, with Dan Ashworth bringing him to the club for £6million from Odense BK. For a player so young and inexperienced, it was a significant investment.

The 19-year-old was immediately loaned out to Feyenoord, which was an early indication of his talent. He had obviously gone there with the assurances of first-team minutes, which is a pretty big deal considering that the Dutch side would be joining us in the Champions League.

The hope is that Newcastle have signed a special player who can blossom into a star in black and white, but for now he is donning red and white.

While it looks like fellow Toon teenager Garang Kuol is struggling in the Eredivisie, it is a different story for Minteh. He has impressed at Feyenoord, although he is far from the finished article.

What is being said about Yankuba Minteh

That is the view of Dutch journalists Dennis van Eersel and Dennis Kranenburg, who have been discussing Minteh’s ability on Podcast Feyenoord. They both agree that the Gambia international seriously needs to work on his end product.

Kranenburg said: “I’ve seen that in him for some time now. He makes an action, looks threatening, but then the cross has to come and it seems as if he closes his eyes.”

Van Eersel added: “I do see the potential in Minteh. We didn’t completely cut him off. He’s still very young and Feyenoord didn’t pick him up for nothing. He’s certainly talented and his work ethic is also good. But at the moment I don’t think he’s good enough for a starting place at Feyenoord.”

Minteh is actually outperforming Newcastle United regular

So far this season, Minteh has made 21 appearances for Feyenoord. In that time, he has scored four goals and provided three assists. That means he is averaging one goal contribution every three games.

In comparison, Newcastle winger Miguel Almiron, who Minteh has admitted he is similar too, has got seven goal contributions from 34 appearances this season. That is almost equal to one goal contribution every five games.

In terms of raw numbers, Minteh is outperforming Almiron, who is the player he will look to replace when he returns to Newcastle United this summer.

But given the comments about Minteh, it is clear that he can still improve. They have obviously watched him closely and believe there is work to do. But at 19, that is not a major concern.

It looks like Minteh has all the raw tools to succeed, and hopefully he will be a very dangerous player for Newcastle United when his game becomes more refined.