This January, Barcelona brought in the talented Colombian Central defender, Yerry Mina, presumably as a replacement of the outgoing Javier Mascherano. Mina was highly rated in Brasiliero and was among the best defenders there. Plus he played for Colombian National team and was sometimes ahead in the pecking order than the highly rated Davinson Sanchez, who has been brought by Tottenham for a big sum. But within six months, rumours are rife that Mina might leave for Liverpool on loan. Setting aside the degree of validity of the sources, let us take a look, how logical is the scenerio, keeping in mind the prospective of both Barcelona and Liverpool.
When Mina came to Barcelona, another player from Liverpool also joined Barcelona as their record signing after months of drama and herald, Coutinho. Alongside Coutinho and Paulinho, Mina completed the third and final non euro spot in the squad. Everything was alright upto then. But Mina’s introduction to Barca was not smooth, as he struggled to get playing time. Valverde, though a good tactician, is most of the times overly cautious and tends to go with experience neglecting talented youth. The biggest instance which showed it this season was when Barcelona decimated Chelsea 3-0 while playing Dembele, but against Roma, whom they defeated 4-1 in first leg, he didn’t played Dembele and lost the second leg 0-3. Similarly, Nelson Semedo is not getting his share of minutes due to Sergi Roberto, despite some strong attacking displays from Semedo. MIna has similarly struggled for minutes with Vermaelen getting the third CB slot to rest Umtiti and Pique being played almost every game despite having a problematic knee.
But the biggest issue will come if Barcelona aquire the talented Brazilian midfielder Arthur, which is rumoured to be almost done. With Iniesta leaving, a midfield controller is a necessity, and Barcelona have targeted Arthur from Gremio. If Arthur comes, then he needs a non EU spot and all three are presently occupied. Neither Coutinho or Paulinho will leave, hence Mina has to leave to accommodate Arthur. Coutinho is rumoured to be trying for a Portuguese passport, but such things take time and are never guaranted. Hence only option is Mina leaving on loan, since Barcelona will be foolish to get rid of such a bright prospect permanently due to their own poor planning, mismanagement and lack of foresight.
What is barca’s loss, can easily turn into Liverpool’s gain. Liverpool already have one of the best attacks in world, besides they have bolstered their midfield with keita coming next season. They already have purchased Van Dijk. With Mina coming, they can easily replace Lovren and this can be a superb prospect in their defence. Mina is not only a giant in aerial duels, he has decent speed, good skill on the ball and good passing abilities. Remember this is the man ahead in pecking order of Davidson Sanchez who is touted as the best young CB in premier league. Klopp is shrewd and sure knows to choose his players, his choices rarely miss out. While Barcelona have shot their own feet, Liverpool can snatch up at the opportunity.
In conclusion, if we analyse the above scenerio, it can be seen that there is a big chance logically behind this rumour, and don’t be surprised if you see Yerry Mina partnering Van Dijk at Anfield next season.
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