Reports: Everton to beat Man United for Barcelona ace's signature
What's the story?
Everton are hours away from completing the transfer of Yerry Mina from Barcelona, according to reports coming from the Italian media outlet, Calcio Mercato. The Columbian international has agreed on a 5-year contract with the Toffees with Barcelona accepting an offer in the region of €32 million from the Merseyside club.
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Yerry Mina has been linked with a moved to Goodison Park all summer. However, it seemed that Manchester United had stolen a march on the Toffees as reports filtered through over the weekend that Mina had agreed on personal terms with the Red Devils. The World Cup star was all set for a move to Old Trafford before Mina's agent intervened at the last minute to change the terms of the agreement.
This left Manchester United fuming and they reportedly pulled out of the agreement after Ed Woodward had set a deadline of Saturday to complete the transfer. The mess has left Everton free to swoop in and acquire one of their major summer targets with Director of Football, Marcel Brands, and the new manager, Marco Silva, working together to get the deal finished quickly.
The heart of the matter
Everton has now completed their third major signing of the season having already captured Richarlison and Lucas Digne. The arrival of Yerry Mina will further strengthen the Toffees' defense and he represents quite a coup for a club seeking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last time out.
With the withdrawal of Manchester United from negotiations and other interested parties such as Inter Milan failing to make a concrete offer, the path from the Nou Camp to Goodison Park seems like it will be traveled by a second player this summer.
Rumour Probability: 9/10
It seems extremely likely that Everton will officially announce the arrival of Yerry Mina in the next few hours. We are simply waiting for a couple of minor adjustments to be worked out before both clubs can confirm the transfer.
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What's Next?
Yerry Mina will likely slot in beside Michael Keane as a first choice center-back and will complete a formidable defensive lineup for Everton in the coming season. He is probably going to become the final major transfer of the summer for the Toffees who can be extremely happy with their business during this window.