Premier League Everton made ex-Barcelona defender Yerry Mina one of the most expensive signings in the history of Goodison Park.
It’s almost impressive that Yerry Mina has managed to slip out of favour at a club who are hardly overloaded with centre-halves.
In truth, A £28 million centre-half who arrived at Goodison Park on the back of an ill-fated spell at Barcelona has rarely looked worthy of a price-tag which, in hindsight, was bordering on the obscene.
They do say beware of signing a player on the back of his performances at an international tournament. And while Mina might have shone for Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, using his giant frame to find the net three times over in Russia, his nervy, erratic performances at club level have left a lot to be desired – and Carlo Ancelotti unconvinced.
Even the much-maligned Michael Keane appears to be ahead of Mina in the pecking order for now, with the 25-year-old slipping down to third in the Italian’s defensive ranks. He hasn’t been trusted with even a minute of action since that less-than-impressive display in a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal.
Now, Mina might be an affable character off the pitch, a valued member of the dressing room with his radiant grin and Samba dancing ways. But on the pitch, where it really matters, he continues to strike fear into the heart of an Everton fan base who have grown used to his penchant for a hospital pass or a mistimed lunge.
And with Everton seemingly going all out for a new centre-half this summer, Mina could soon find himself becoming the odd one out. The Mirror reports that they are in talks over a £30 million deal for Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes, while Nicolas N’Koulou and Chris Smalling have been linked too.
Barring an impressive resurgence, there appears to be two rather daunting possibilities facing Mina. Either he accepts a role as Everton’s fourth-choice centre-back – or he has no future at Goodison Park at all.
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