Liverpool failed with two bids for Yankuba Minteh during the summer transfer window, and the Brighton winger has been missing since then after picking up an injury in pre-season

Yankuba Minteh could make his long-awaited return against Liverpool this weekend, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has revealed, which could pique the Reds’ interest in more ways than one.

Liverpool had two bids of $67 million (£50M) and $80 million (£60M) rejected for the Gambia international during the summer as the club looked for a natural replacement for Mohamed Salah on the right wing.

Minteh has not yet played this season, having picked up an ankle injury during a pre-season friendly against Roma, but he may end up making his return at Anfield, which could well have been his home had Liverpool pushed harder for his signature.

Hurzeler has confirmed Minteh is closing in on a return, with the winger expected to train with the rest of the Brighton team on Saturday, and he “might be an option” for Sunday’s game.

The Seagulls have fared well without him, having climbed to third in the Premier League and leading the scoring charts with a staggering 23 goals from just seven games. Even so, Hurzeler still feels Minteh’s return will be a major boost.

“He (Minteh) seems to be in a really good place,” Hurzeler said during his press conference on Friday (via The Athletic).

“Physically, he is working hard in rehab, mentally he knows the team is in a good place, but he also knows that if he plays on his highest level, if he reaches his highest level as quickly as possible, then he adds something to the team.

“It’s a mix of both. On the one side, the team is performing well, on the other side we know that players like Minteh have something that is definitely missing currently in the squad. Therefore it’s about the mindset of the player when he comes back.

“Is he willing to work hard, is he willing to adapt to the intensity we are playing with, he is willing to adapt to our style of play? That not only refers to Minteh, it refers to every player that is injured at the moment.”

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Brighton could also have Mats Wieffer back available, with the midfielder also set to join in with training on Saturday, while a late decision will be made on Pascal Struijk’s availability after the defender missed the last two games against Crystal Palace and Jablonec in the Conference League.

Kaoru Mitoma, Femi Azeez, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson all remained sidelined for the Seagulls, who will have the chance to go seven points clear of Liverpool with a victory, and could move into second if Arsenal slips up against Everton on Saturday.