Everton have been linked with a move for Barcelona’s Yerry MIna.
According to a report in AS, Barcelona are closing in on a deal for Sevilla’s Clement Lenglet with the talented defender having a £31 million release clause and keen to link up with the Spanish giants.
Barcelona signing Lenglet will bolster their defensive ranks and provide manager Ernesto Valverde with further competition to regular starting duo Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique – a situation which could benefit Everton.
According to reports in the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are keen on signing Barca’s Yerry Mina having already made contact for the player and they could see their chances boosted with the centre-back being pushed further down the pecking order.
The Colombia international arrived at the Nou Camp in January for a fee in the region of £10 million, with Barca wasting little time in exerting a whopping £88 million release clause into his contract.
It’s unlikely that the La Liga champions will want to sell the talented youngster so soon after buying him, therefore a deal for Lenglet could see them be open to loaning Mina out for the campaign.
The Liverpool Echo suggest that’s the most likely option and one which Everton are keen to proceed with, considering the Merseyside club’s need to bolster their back line with some fresh faces.
Everton have an ageing defence with Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka well into their thirties, so adding Mina to the mix even on a temporary basis would certainly help strengthen their first-team eleven.
The 23-year-old has shown his qualities in Russia this summer, becoming the first defender to score in each of his first three World Cup games as Colombia ultimately crashed out to England on penalties.
The 6ft 5inch defender is a powerhouse in both boxes, though to aid his development he ought to be playing regular first-team football and that looks unlikely to happen should he stay at Barca again this season.
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