If you love watching football, you love watching Yankuba Minteh.

The man who was reluctantly let go by Newcastle United for £30 million under PSR rules in 2024 has proved to be another shrewd acquisition for the Seagulls.

Minteh is one of those luxury players that you want in your team, and frankly, not someone you may immediately associate with being the best player at Brighton at the moment. 

From the beginning of the season, it was clear Minteh had improved considerably. Even in games that could be deemed more lacklustre, the Gambian international was always the shining light. 

Most noticeable is his work rate. He will run a lot - and very quickly. He is by far Brighton's fastest player, reaching above 36km/h sprint speed in the Premier League this season. 

Statistically, he stacks up very nicely. Yankuba Minteh (56) ranks second in the Premier League in terms of successful take-ons, only behind Jeremy Doku (63) of Manchester City. 

In duals, he is equally as effective. Minteh loves a tackle and to press intensely, perfect for Fabian Hürzeler's system. On the eye test, he is just as effective.

But for injuries and a mysterious absence from the squad for a short period of time, it took no time for the winger to steal the headlines back in the starting 11 again.

In his last game, against Liverpool, most would deem one of his best performances in a Brighton shirt, even without scoring. Tirelessly running at the Liverpool defence, and fearlessly taking on a handful of players, and attempting to put dangerous crosses in the box. Eventually, this led to Danny Welbeck's winning goal. A beautifully weighted ball into the back post for Jack Hinshelwood to knock back across. 

This is a common theme for Minteh. His running leaves him in the top percentile for dribbles per 90, at an impressive 6.69. Additionally, the same can be said for his crosses. Minteh is in the 93rd percentile of accurate crosses as of 2025/26.

For a young player at just 21-years-old, his crossing ability is very encouraging. From a fan's perspective, 'wasted' crosses can feel pointless. Still, when you can see the determination from the player to insist on creating chances, with an added element of maturity, there is an incredibly dangerous footballer in there. 

A throwback to Brighton vs Chelsea on a crisp Valentine's evening in 2025, a game largely associated with being somewhat of a 'rivalry' these days, Minteh turned up. From throwing Marc Cucurella forwards and backwards, to scoring a brace alongside a moment of brilliance. Something romantic was in the air that night, and the electric Gambian took full advantage. Minteh ran them ragged, and even with a goal of the season contender from Mitoma that evening, it was the right-sided winger who took the plaudits. He had arrived on the south coast. 

Welbeck alluded to Minteh needing to cut down and work on the basics. While hard work is invaluable, sometimes, as the former England international said, "less is more". 

Both can co-exist, and Minteh has the potential to iron this out into becoming a top-class Premier League player. 

The former Magpie can be prone to going that one step too far at times, and perhaps that is where the goal output is lacking.

For a player who loves to take on his man, quite often this can result in either losing possession or a wasted moment. That one skill-move too many, or fake shot after fake shot to clear the way for a chance, sometimes goes begging. Again, coming down to maturity. As football fans, we love to forget these players are incredibly young, and for a young player to be overly excited to impress doesn't necessarily have to be a negative if it can be mitigated for the future. 

For a player to be equally effective going forward and defensively is a rare mix in the modern age. Most wingers in the world are very systematic, used to filling half spaces or hugging touchlines. While defensive responsibilities are always important, many teams across world football tend to be structured in a way that suits keeping gaps tight.

Minteh is that rarer breed, a blast from the past, and someone who will take great pleasure in scoring goals, but also running 60 yards for a sliding challenge for a huge fan ovation.

In an era where Premier League fans are desperately missing traditional, exciting wingers, Minteh, alongside Kaoru Mitoma, adds a beautiful feeling of 'old school' to a very modern Brighton and Hove Albion.

If tricky wingers who want to consistently better themselves don't somehow get you excited, then I don't know what more to say. The intense magician.