Newcastle United have seen tremendous growth under Eddie Howe. Another big reason behind their success is the Saudi investment that has led to the signing of some big players. The Magpies have even signed some youngsters to build a team for the future. One such youngster is currently on loan in the Netherlands and is getting some game time at the top level.
19-year-old Gambian international Yankuba Minteh joined Newcastle United at the start of the 2023-24 season and was loaned out to Feyenoord on a season-long loan. The youngster also represented his country last year and is seen as a future talent. Minteh has started to make his mark for the Dutch champions. Here is a look at how this Gambian forward is performing in his first test on the biggest stage.
First season in a top-five league
Yankuba Minteh played in Denmark before moving to Newcastle United. This is the first time that the young forward is playing in a top-five league. Minteh has made 11 appearances for the Dutch champions so far, with two coming in the UEFA Champions League. He has been out injured since late October and has missed a few games.
The above viz shows the percentile rank of Minteh in comparison to other right-attacking midfielders in Tier 2 of league football. This 19-year-old player has been at the top of his game and has a high percentile rank in the attack. His defensive contributions are also on the higher side. Minteh has scored three times and has an assist in 477 minutes spent on the field.
Terrorising defences
The 19-year-old midfielder has a very direct approach to scoring goals. He likes to take on defenders and penetrate the opposition penalty box with his skills and dribbles. The player averages 7.55 progressive runs per 90 minutes and has a 59% dribble success rate.
Minteh’s ability to get past defenders and make progressive runs into the penalty box has allowed him to deliver key passes into the opposition penalty box. The Gambian has received most of these passes wide on the right. The player attempts 27.6 passes per 90 minutes and has a 71% accuracy rate. These include 3.4 passes to the opposition penalty box, with a 50% accuracy rate.
In the current season, Minteh has scored three times from 25 shot attempts towards the opposition goal. This youngster penetrates the opposition penalty box with his runs and averages 7.86 touches inside the opposition penalty box per 90 minutes. He averages 3.85 shots per 90 minutes and has an impressive accuracy rate of 52%. His shot map shows that the player has tried to beat the goalkeeper on his near post.
This young talent has been impressive on the field and is scoring goals. The Magpies have Gordon on the opposite wing, and Minteh will support him from the right side. Minteh has been a great signing, and he will look to get more opportunities in England next season.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
