Manchester United blocked Jose Mourinho’s attempts to bring Everton defender Yerry Mina to Old Trafford amid concerns over the Colombian’s fitness, as reported by The Athletic.
Three years on from his £28 million move to Goodison Park, the former Barcelona youngster has missed 23 games of football in Everton blue.
Not a brilliant record, but not a dreadful one either.
However, following his short-lived and ill-fated spell at Camp Nou, you can see why some at Old Trafford would have harboured doubts over Mina’s suitability.
After all, the giant centre-back had been restricted to only four La Liga starts in Catalonia because of a troublesome foot problem.
And with Barcelona demanding a fee in the region of £30 million for a man they signed for just £10 million a few months earlier, it’s easy to understand why a few red flags may have been raised by the Man United bosses.
The Athletic reports that, during the flammable pre-season tour of 2018, Mourinho was demanding – not just privately – a new central defender at Old Trafford.
Along with Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng, Mina was one of the top targets.
The 6ft 7in powerhouse did get his move in the end, although it’s difficult to judge whether Mina has justified his £28 million price tag at Everton.
The 26-year-old has been much improved under Carlo Ancelotti but there’s a nagging feeling a high-profile blunder is never too far away.
The Sun reports Mina is facing an uncertain future at Goodison with a move to Italy on the cards.
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