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Manchester United Reportedly Target £35M Deal for Barcelona's Yerry Mina
July 29, 2018
Manchester United have reportedly switched their attention to Barcelona defender Yerry Mina after baulking at Leicester City's valuation of Harry Maguire and are "planning a £35 million move" for the Colombia international.
The Sun's Alan Nixon reported that because signing Maguire would set them back £60 million, United are now looking at Mina and have made inquiries into his availability and cost.
Barcelona were said to be hoping for £50 million earlier in the transfer window when Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers expressed interest in him, but Mina "will plead" with the club to let him leave for a lower fee so he can secure a switch to Old Trafford.
The 23-year-old only arrived at the Camp Nou in January for £10.5 million and made just six appearances for the Blaugrana thereafter, but his value has increased after some strong performances at the FIFA World Cup with Colombia.
Los Cafeteros exited in the last 16, but in his three appearances in Russia, he scored three times and the team conceded only once—from a Harry Kane penalty.
Squawka Football offered a look at Mina's strengths and weaknesses:
As Grup 14's Rafael Hernandez noted, Mina may not be a natural fit at the Camp Nou, but he could excel in the right situation:
While he perhaps lacks the technical skill of fellow Barca centre-backs Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti, he's a promising defender who deserves a greater role than he has been given by the Catalan giants.
United are in need of defensive reinforcements ahead of the new season, with Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo unreliable.
Mina could make for a useful acquisition at Old Trafford, and while it's difficult to justify his value's threefold increase after a handful of appearances, he would be a far more affordable option than Maguire.