The Toffees signed both players from Barcelona on transfer deadline day last summer.
Everton club secretary and director of football operations David Harrison has given an insight on the “hectic” summer deadline day transfers involving Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes from Barcelona.
The Toffees signed the 23-year-old defender for 30.25m euros (£27.19m) along with his teammate and Portugal international on a season-long loan, as was reported by BBC Sport on 9 August.
Mina and Gomes arrived at Goodison Park from Barcelona with injuries, the former not making his debut until November, in the 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, and the latter on 21 October in the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Mina has made 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring once, while Gomes has played 28 times for Everton, with one goal and two assists under his belt, according to Transfermarkt.
Harrison was asked by the official Toffees website about what it was like to be part of the “frenetic” day in Barcelona in which the two players were recruited and his response was eye-opening in terms of the length he and the club went to to make the deals happen.
“It became obvious about 48 hours before the deadline that we were going to have to conclude both of those deals in Barcelona,” replied Harrison. “The logistics of medicals and getting players into various locations wasn’t going to work and the easiest way to deal with it was to go to Spain.
“Barcelona as a club were very accommodating and gave us access for medicals at local hospitals which they use. We had a late night the day before trying to get as much lined up as possible to help us. Deadline day itself was an early start – we had medicals, agent meetings and paperwork to arrange. At one point I had to run a mile in my suit, in 25-degree heat in Barcelona, to see a lawyer who was creating a delay to the process. It was hectic but worth it in the end!”
Everton are assured of a top-half finish in the Premier League table as 11th-placed West Ham United are four points behind the Toffees with one game to go.
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