Newcastle transfer news: Magpies close to signing Yankuba Minteh

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Newcastle United are reportedly closing in on their first signing ahead of the summer transfer window, with Yankuba Minteh set to join the Magpies.

Minteh is an 18-year-old winger who plays for Odense BK in Denmark, and a report has claimed that he is nearing a move to Newcastle.

It is the kind of deal that Dan Ashworth was brought to the club for, as he has a great reputation when it comes to snapping up unknown youngsters who go on to become superstars. He did it brilliantly at Brighton, as we are seeing this season with so many of his signings thrive at the Amex Stadium.

Now he is looking to do the same with Newcastle, and Minteh could be the next new name through the door at St James’ Park.

Newcastle close to signing Yankuba Minteh

According to Sport Fyn in Denmark, Newcastle are close to signing the Gambian teenager. They state that the Magpies are ready to buy him, while Odense are willing to sell. The report adds that he will cost between £4.7million and £8.3million.

Sport Fyn add that a work permit could be an issue due to the rule changes enforced by Brexit. That looked like it would cause problems for Newcastle when Garang Kuol joined, and the plan was to just loan him out to a country where he would be eligible to play. The same will likely happen with Minteh, if he does join Eddie Howe’s side.

He is a young player with a lot of talent, and someone who Newcastle must believe can develop into a real star. He already has senior experience in Denmark, and scored a winning goal on his debut earlier this season.

Minteh, who has been described as ‘special‘, has a lot of potential, but he has also had his issues this season. He was given a two-game suspension recently after breaking the corner flag in a game against Nordsjælland. The attacker has also been involved in a training ground altercation, fighting with teammate Mads Frøkjær-Jensen.

Hopefully these disciplinary issues are just isolated incidents, and Newcastle are not closing in on a player who could prove to be problematic. That feels unlikely, given the type of characters the club have been signing since the change of ownership.