- Barcelona set to complete €11.5m deal to secure second January signing
- Coutinho arrived at the Nou Camp on Monday, second arrival touted on Tuesday
- Mina will address a big weakness in the current squad in defence
- READ MORE: Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo mocks Philippe Coutinho’s Barcelona transfer
Barcelona’s push to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window is reportedly set to continue with a deal for defender Yerry Mina.
After unveiling Philippe Coutinho on Monday, the club are already on a high as they’ve added another key figure to their squad to compliment the class and quality already in the group.
According to Sport, Mina will be in Spain on Tuesday to complete the formalities of his €11.5m move to join the Catalan giants before being unveiled on Wednesday, and he will certainly be a crucial addition to the squad.
With Javier Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen the only options in reserve to step in for either Samuel Umtiti and Gerard Pique, Barca are undoubtedly light in the defensive department.
For a club continuing to compete on various fronts for major honours, injuries and suspensions could seriously derail Ernesto Valverde’s side and that is a risk that they need to address with Mascherano’s age and Vermaelen’s injury history worth considering.
That seemingly will happen now with Mina signing, as he’s touted as a replacement for Mascherano, with the 23-year-old capable of becoming a long-term solution as he looks set to pen a four-and-a-half year contract with Barcelona.
He will of course have to prove that he’s capable of making the step up at the Nou Camp, but the club must be confident in him to bring him in half-way through the campaign which could also be an opportunity for him to settle in.
Coupled with the signing of Coutinho, Barca will surely be delighted with their work this month, as they’ve made two key long-term signings and will hope that it can not only keep them on track this season, but put them in a strong position to contend for many more years.