Reports: Barcelona cleverly inserted a buy-back clause when selling World Cup star this summer
What's the story?
The path from Barcelona to Merseyside was well-trodden this summer as no less than three players swapped the Nou Camp for Goodison Park. Andre Gomes, Lucas Digne, and Yerry Mina will all line up for the Toffees this season after they made late moves in the transfer window. However, while Barcelona was happy to let two of those players leave without any insurances, the Spanish champions inserted a €60 million buy-back clause into the deal for Yerry Mina according to Spanish news source, Marca.
In case you didn't know...
Yerry Mina enjoyed a hugely successful World Cup with Columbia, netting three goals and rightly enjoying plaudits as their player of the tournament. The 23-year-old joined Barcelona only in January of this year from Palmeiras and has seen his stock rise significantly during the intervening eight months.
A lack of guarantees regarding first team football at the Nou Camp prompted Mina to push for an exit with reports stating interest from Everton and Manchester United among others. However, it was the Toffees who eventually secured the defender's signature for €30.2 million plus another €2.2 million in various add-ons.
The heart of the matter
While the capture of a young up and coming center-back with bags of potential represents quite a coup for Everton, the management at Barcelona was keen to ensure a path remained open for Mina's return should he fulfill his potential. While a €60 million buy-back clause seems extremely high, if Mina reaches the heights many predict, the clause would represent a canny piece of business.
Rumour Rating: 10/10
Marca is in the know when it comes to Spain's two big clubs and the reports of a buy-back clause were also stated on Barcelona's official website. The Catalans have previous in this category, having activated a buy-back clause for Gerard Deulofeu for €12 million from Everton last summer.
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What's next?
Yerry Mina is likely to play a big role for Everton this season with his power, height, and skills a perfect fit for the Premier League. Should he excel over the next season or two at Goodison Park, Barcelona can activate the buy-back clause at any time and bring the Columbian to the Nou Camp for €60 million.