Yankuba Minteh is reportedly aiming for a move to Everton, highlighting his potential impact on Sean Dyche’s squad.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Minteh, currently under contract with Newcastle United, has identified Everton as his preferred destination in the Premier League, despite interest from Olympique Lyonnais, under John Textor. The Gambian international, who turns 20 on July 22, joined Newcastle last summer from Odense Boldklub for £6 million. He has already made four appearances for his national team, scoring one goal.
Minteh spent last season on loan at Feyenoord, where he played under Arne Slot, achieving success with a Dutch Cup victory, beating NEC 1-0 in the final in April. His standout season included 11 goals, with 10 coming in league play. While Feyenoord expressed interest in extending his loan, Minteh is eager to showcase his talent on a larger platform.
Comparisonator’s Similarity Comparison tool identifies Brighton & Hove Albion’s Solly March as the Premier League player most stylistically similar to Minteh, with an 82% match. Mattheus Cunha of Wolverhampton Wanderers follows at 78%, and Bukayo Saka of Arsenal at 68%. Utilizing their Virtual Transfer tool, Minteh’s Eredivisie statistics from last season were analyzed against Premier League players in similar positions. He ranks fifth in the AI Main Index with a score of 411, following Saka (505), Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise (499), and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (430) and Noni Madueke (416).
Minteh leads his Premier League counterparts in several categories, including goals per 90 minutes (0.6), with only Palmer (0.72) surpassing him. His 3.41 shots per game outpaces league leader Mohamed Salah (3.36), though Salah edges him slightly in shots on target (1.69 to 1.49).
Additionally, Minteh excels in playing in scoring attacks (1.49, ahead of Palmer’s 1.47), dribbles in the final third (8.31, ahead of Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United on 6.43), successful dribbles in the final third (4.9, ahead of Olise’s 4.19), progressive runs (6.45, ahead of Madueke’s 5.23), and opportunities converted (0.6, ahead of Olise’s 0.51). He boasts a 100% success rate for accurate crosses, ranking third in the league with an average of 4.12 crosses per 90 minutes, trailing Newcastle United’s Jacob Murphy (5.25) and Luton Town’s Andros Townsend (4.87).
Minteh’s average of 1.02 key passes per 90 minutes would place him sixth in the Premier League, with Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey leading (1.27). His duels won figure of 13.27 is only surpassed by Kudus (14.6) and Crystal Palace’s Jordan Ayew (13.96).
While Minteh’s offensive prowess is evident, adapting defensively may be crucial under Dyche’s system at Everton, which emphasizes defensive contributions from all players, including those on the flanks.
For instance, Minteh’s ball recoveries in his own half (1.61) rank lower compared to Premier League right wingers like James Garner (2.82) and Jack Harrison (2.32).
Everton’s wing options have been limited following Lewis Dobbin’s departure to Aston Villa and Arnaut Danjuma’s return to Villarreal after a disappointing loan spell. Talks are reportedly advancing positively for a loan return of Jack Harrison from Leeds United. However, financial constraints at Goodison Park may limit significant investments until after the completion of the takeover.
Newcastle United continues to pursue Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is attracting interest from other clubs, while several top clubs, including Arsenal, are monitoring Amadou Onana, currently with Belgium at the European Championships.
