Spanish club FC Barcelona, according to reports is set to complete the signing of young Colombian centre-back Yerri Mina from Palmeiras.
The Catalan club, who have shown interest before on Mina have been understood to have negotiated a deal with the Brazilian club two years ago.
According to the deal, Barcelona is set to complete the transfer of Yerri Mina, who has nine caps for the national team for just nine million euros.
Barcelona has been put under this situation after an injury to their star defender Samuel Umtiti, while Mascherano is nursing a hamstring injury.
Valverde’s problems at the back:
This leaves Barcelona’s coach Ernesto Valverde with only one centre-back pairing, of Gerard Pique and Thomas Vermaelen. The Belgian Vermaelen’s past history with injuries leaves the coach highly doubtful of his options.
According to AS sources, the Blaugrana have given club directors Pep Segura and Robert Fernández the go-ahead to finalise personal terms with Mina with a view to the player actually joining up with the squad before the end of December.
Yerri Mina is almost a done deal:
While the directors have finalised the decision to bring in the Columbian defender to Camp Nou, Ernesto Valverde has also given his consent for the defender.
Valverde’s green light means that the club will look to process the signing much quicker ahead of the January window.
On the previous accounts, Barcelona’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu had said that only if there is a green light from Valverde, will Barcelona go in for the defender.
Arthur on his way to Barcelona?
Mina would be the second of three permitted players holding a non-European passport. The first of the players to hold a non-EU passport is Paulinho.
This means that the club is still permitted to bring in the Brazilian midfielder Arthur from Gremio next summer. Arthur would be the fourth midfielder that Barcelona has signed in two seasons.
