- Barcelona reportedly put under pressure to sign defender Yerry Mina
- Catalan giants pushing to get sizeable fee for Mascherano first
- Dortmund could swoop in and snatch Colombian defender from Barca
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Barcelona’s defence needs work done to it, and the January transfer window could reportedly be crucial in taking a first big step to rebuilding it.
While results this season and their current La Liga standing would suggest that it’s hardly a major concern, it could become a real problem for Ernesto Valverde in the weeks ahead.
After Samuel Umtiti suffered a hamstring injury, either Javier Mascherano or Thomas Vermaelen will have to step in, and given their age and injury history respectively, they’re hardly the most reassuring of options off the bench.
In turn, reinforcements are certainly needed in that department, and according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are coming under pressure to wrap up the signing of Palmeiras defender Yerry Mina.
It’s claimed that once the Catalan giants get the €10m+ that they desire for Mascherano who looks set for a move to China, they’ll complete a swoop for Mina, who has an agreement to move to the Nou Camp for €9m next summer.
However, things get complicated by the suggestion that Borussia Dortmund are ready to swoop in and put a €25m bid on the table to get in ahead of Barcelona on the deal, as they’ll need to renegotiate for a January agreement.
As a result, with an immediate need to address the problem area in order to avoid any dramatic slip-ups in La Liga or Europe having put themselves in a strong position to win trophies, securing a deal to bring in Mina to replace Mascherano in January may well be a very smart move.
Nevertheless, it’s also worth considering that losing the experience the Argentine stalwart offers in favour of a 23-year-old with no experience of playing in Spain is a risk in itself, one that they will hope will pay immediate and long-term dividends.