Newcastle United need no reminding of the late June panic that saw the club sell homegrown talent Elliot Anderson and prospective youngster Yankuba Minteh in order to satisfy profit and sustainability rules [PSR]. This week, however, the Magpies look set to be dished up a double dose of 'what could have been' across the space of just 96 hours.

Anderson was in action for his country on Tuesday evening and excelled as England's under 21 side put seven past Azerbaijan's youngsters without reply. The Nottingham Forest star was one of the seven different scorers and scooped the Man of the Match award at full-time to naturally cause some of the Newcastle faithful to once again bemoan the decision to let him go.

Even former team-mate Anthony Gordon could be seen congratulating Anderson with three 'clapping' emojis after his exploits for the Three Lions.

Yet Anderson's solid performance on the international stage is not the only reason to feel regret at his untimely exit. Nuno Espirito Santo appears to be getting the best out of him at club level too, with the 21-year-old featuring in all seven Premier League games for his new club so far this term.

It is easy to forget Anderson had not established himself as an out and out starter at Newcastle at the time of his departure. The midfielder may have made 26 appearances in all competitions last season, as Newcastle dealt with a scarcely believable injury crisis, but there is no doubt the youngster would have struggled to nail down the type of minutes he is experiencing at the City Ground in this current Newcastle side.

That, of course, certainly doesn't make his exit any easier to stomach - and with bags of potential and plenty of road ahead in order to grow and improve, Tuesday's showing likely won't be the last display that causes Newcastle fans angst at the PSR-induced sale in 2024.

While Anderson has already done his bit this week, attention turns to Newcastle's clash with Brighton and Hove Albion this Saturday - and that means, potentially, Minteh's first appearance at St James' Park. Many, understandably, expected that debut performance on Tyneside to come in a black and white shirt but with his new south coast club willing to pay PS33m for an untested, unproven and rather raw talent, the decision makers at Newcastle took the risk sacrificing the Gambian flyer when in such an aforementioned tight spot financially.

Minteh, like Anderson, has also impressed since departing in the summer. The 20-year-old enjoyed a goal-laden pre-season, with every strike feeling like a sucker punch to those watching on from Newcastle.

Since then, new Brighton's new, equally untested boss Fabian Hurzeler has thrown his weight behind talented youth options and Minteh has, in turn, benefitted from his manager's trust. The former Odense winger was the only Seagulls summer signing to start the first four Premier League games and became the youngest African player to score in the Premier League since his club team-mate Tariq Lamptey in 2020 when scoring his first competitive goal for the club.

After dropping out the side in recent weeks, Minteh was restored to the starting lineup for the huge comeback against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and found the net as the south coast outfit stunned their north London opposition.

Speaking of Minteh and his attacking co-stars after the game, Hurzeler said: "All four offensive players had a great performance. I am not judging them by scoring goals or making assists, I am judging them by how they work against the ball and how hard they work when they lose the ball. In the first half, it wasn't good enough from all of them. In the second half, they showed, like the whole team, a good reaction."

Minteh is expected to keep his place in Brighton's side for Saturday's 3pm kick-off at what should have been his own stomping ground. A good performance against the club who plucked him from obscurity in Denmark and those feelings that arose after Anderson's Man of the Match display this week will no doubt rear their head once again as Newcastle are reminded of why they must avoid finding themselves back into a similar transfer corner in the future.