Newcastle United loanee Yankuba Minteh still needs to add consistency to his game but the speed of his ascent on loan at Feyenoord has left no one in any doubt about the potential of the Premier League loanee.
Sometimes, it is all too easy to forget that Yankuba Minteh was plying his trade back home in Gambia for Steve Biko FC as recently as 2022.
It’s certainly been quite the rise. The teenager’s devastating displays at Odense Boldklub in Denmark earned him a move to Newcastle United over the summer. And, since moving on loan to the Netherlands, Minteh is proving why some had labelled him Gambia’s answer to Lionel Messi.
Minteh has three goals and one assist already for the Eredivisie champions. A regular in Arne Slot’s XI, the 19-year-old shone against Celtic and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and tore Ajax apart in a stunning 4-0 Der Klassiker victory in front of a baying Johan Cruyff Arena crowd.
Newcastle United’s Yankuba Minteh shining
“You saw Minteh against Atletico Madrid and against PEC Zwolle,” Martijn Krabbendam, a reporter for Voetbal International, explains.
“He starts very promisingly. At times he is a bit inconsistent. But the boy was still playing on a sand field in Gambia a year and a half ago!”
Minteh, who joined Newcastle in a £6 million deal, is refusing to rule out extending his loan spell at Feyenoord, with the likes of Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon and Miguel Almiron likely to remain ahead of him in Eddie Howe’s pecking order.
‘Extremely dangerous’
Feyenoord legend Willem van Hanegem, however, fears that Minteh’s performances may be a double-edged sword. With every dazzling dribble, Minteh only increases his chances of a first-team role at Newcastle in 2024.
“I’ve been enjoying him for a few matches now. He is extremely dangerous with his speed,” Van Hanegem tells NOS.
“If I were Feyenoord, I would now cast my doubts on whether he can be signed from Newcastle United for another year.”
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