Barcelona scouting 19-year-old Premier League prodigy at Africa Cup of Nations: Reports
Barcelona have reportedly sent scouts to the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations to watch a number of players, particularly Gambia youngster Yankuba Minteh. The Catalan outfit are looking to add quality to their squad, and have recently gravitated towards signing younger players, meaning Minteh fits into their plans.
Minteh arrived in Europe to play for Danish side Odense BK in the summer of 2022, where his impressive showings earned him a move to the Premier League. The teenager joined Newcastle United in July, 2023 and was immediately sent out on loan to Dutch champions Feyenoord for the 2023-24 season.
Minteh has seen regular minutes hard to come by in the Netherlands, but has managed to make an impact in his limited time at the club. The Gambia international has four goals and two assists in just 821 minutes of action for Feyenoord across all competitions.
The 19-year-old was at the AFCON with the Scorpions of Gambia this month. The teenager featured in all three games for his country as they bowed out in the group stage of the tournament, and he did not find the net or assist once.
Gambia finished bottom of Group C at the competition after losing all three of their group matches - against Senegal, Guinea and Cameroon. Minteh started two of their games in the tournament, coming on as a substitute in a third game.
Barcelona are looking to sign some of Europe's finest young talent, and are targeting Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, as well. They just added Brazilian teenager Vitor Roque to their squad in January, and continue to be linked with several other teenage stars.
The Blaugrana are aware that Minteh has not played enough minutes on loan at Feyenoord, and are willing to try and take advantage of the situation. The Spanish champions have sent scouts to watch him, as per Mundo Deportivo, and will look to try and sign him.
Barcelona set to search for new manager
Barcelona manager Xavi sent shockwaves through the football world after he announced that he will leave his position at the end of the season. The Spanish manager had only been appointed midway through the 2021-22 season, and won La Liga in 2022-23.
The announcement came after a disappointing 5-3 capitulation against Villarreal on home soil, when things came to a head for the manager. He had previously hinted at a potential exit from the club, but was not expected to leave so soon.
Barcelona will begin their search for a new manager who will lead their team from the 2024-25 season. They are likely to finish this season without any honors, and the next manager will have a great deal of work to do with such a young squad.