Atletico Madrid are eyeing a potential move for Everton defender Yerry Mina, who is valued at €25 million.
According to a report from El Nacional, Atletico Madrid are in the market for a new defender. The reigning Spanish champions are uncertain about the future of Felipe and are willing to let the veteran leave the club in January. Manager Diego Simeone is eyeing a replacement, with Yerry Mina emerging as a top target.
Formerly of Barcelona, the Colombian is rated highly by Simeone due to his experience and imposing figure at the back. Everton, though, have no intention of letting their star player go for cheap and are holding out for a fee of €25 million.
Mina has been a part of the Merseyside giants since 2018 when he joined the club for a fee of €30 million after a disastrous spell at Barca. Since then, the defender has notched up 83 competitive appearances for the Toffees, gaining a significant amount of experience at the highest level of football.
However, the 27-year-old has struggled with injuries lately. He most recently picked up a thigh problem in October that has kept him out since. As a result, the defender has only featured in six league games this season, forcing Rafael Benitez to rely on the services of Michael Keane and Ben Godfrey.
Given Mina’s injury problems in England, Everton won’t be too keen on keeping hold of him for the long-term, especially if they can recoup most of the sum they had spent on about three and a half years ago. This is where Atletico Madrid come into the fray.
As mentioned earlier, Los Colchoneros are in the market for a new centre-back that can replace Felipe while competing with Stefan Savic, Jose Gimenez and Mario Hermoso. Mina fits the bill well due to his aggression and a towering 1.95m frame that can often be daunting for an attacker to come up against.
Moreover, he has unfinished business left in Spain, having had to leave Barcelona after making just six appearances. Mina might not be the only defensive player Everton are looking to offload in January, though. As reports suggest, the Toffees are also prepared to cash in on star goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who is a target for Tottenham Hotspur.
It appears Benitez is hoping to offload a few of his star players in order to raise funds for potential January targets. The club has already been linked with moves for cost-effective options like Zenit forward Sardar Azmoun, while Barcelona starlet Arnau Comas could prove to be a potential replacement for Mina, should he leave the club next month.
